


An Old Dog's Romance

by orphan_account



Series: Old Dogs, Oldest Story In The Book [1]
Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Dog Owners!AU, Doggies Fall In Love, Domestic Fluff, M/M, Not Canon Compliant
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-16
Updated: 2017-01-28
Packaged: 2018-08-15 07:20:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 56,149
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8047495
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: When Gabriel took his dog, Jesse out for a walk, he wasn’t expecting the big dumb puffball to go around chasing the tail of a haughty foreign bred dog. He also didn’t expect that along the way, Gabriel Reyes, ex Spec Ops commander, honorably dischaged due to various life threatening injuries and proud owner of twin Shotguns with badass names like Reaper and Death Blossoms, will be attracted to a greying man in pink polo shirt and reading glasses with red lenses who brings both mundanity and excitement back to his empty, non-military life.In which man is annoyed stupid pet dog falls in love with another dog, also falls in love in process with dog’s unexpectedly hot but dorky owner.





	1. Meeting In The Park

**Author's Note:**

> Because i'm a sucker for Animal AUs and wanna make one. Hope you'll enjoy it as much as i enoy writing it!

 

He would not admit this, not even under the threat of torture, maiming though maybe just a little if they threaten to cancel the telenovela reruns night, but Gabriel Reyes loves, absolutely adores Jesse.

 

 

Okay, so his first impression of him hadn’t been spectacular; The moment the Rottweiler puppy was released from his box, Jesse - full name Jesse McCree, named so after he saw both his Full House DVD and an open newspaper about the Jaguar’s win - immediately caused havoc by running around the place, tackling down tables and cutleries and scurrying off people’s legs. To this day, during Gabriel’s rare cleaning days, he could still find shards of glass or dusty cutleries and knick knacks from that incident in hidden nook and crannies.

 

 

And Jesse is an energetic son of a bitch, unlike Gabriel’s middle aged ass, with his often aching body and creaking joints. Ana convinced him that it was merely due to him being a puppy, and as he grows, he’ll slowly wean of that behaviour and become the proper dog he is supposed to be. Yet Jesse never did, still running around in the rain and shaking everywhere inside afterwards, chasing after the ball he throws and coming back with a big ass tree trunk, and he once made Gabriel chase him all across a large park because he was curious with an obviously frightened dove trying to fly away.

 

 

Yet despite all of that, Jesse was the light of his life. He had been given to Gabriel after he was discharged to cope with his PTSD - that he would still deny he had till the day he die - and while they had a rocky start - with Gabriel just hating any sort of living being on principle and Jesse being clingier than a leech - they both make it work. Jesse depended on him for food, shelter and entertainment, and Gabriel depended on Jesse to remind him that there is actually something worth living after he was discharged due to crippling injury.

 

 

So yeah, Gabriel loves his buddy, his best friend, Jesse.

 

 

But if said dog keeps on ignoring him, Gabriel is also not above taking out his _enamorada_ \- twin shotguns, military issued, personally hand painted and even has an affectionate nickname of ‘Reaper’ and ‘Death Blossoms’ - and start shooting to get his attention. See if he’s as good at dodging bullet as he is at Gabriel’s every attempt in taking him to bath.

 

 

“For fuck’s sake _chico_ ,” he growled, tightening his grip on the leash that has been completely immovable for the last 5 minutes, “Jesse, fucking walk!”

 

 

But Jesse didn’t even turn at the sound of his name. No, his fucking ungrateful mutt, now a whooping 37 inch and 72 lbs lump of black and brown instead of being small enough to fit in both of Gabriel’s palms, wiggled his tail, lolled his tongue and just wouldn’t look away from the sight of two dogs playing with each other at the other side of the park.

 

 

Well, one dog stoically sitting while the other, smaller almost half its size dog runs around it, yapping and running in such speed that it made Gabriel’s head from across the park hurt. The two dogs doesn’t look like a breed he had encountered quite often - not that Gabriel knows much about dogs aside from Jesse - but they had collars on each of them, blue for the stoic one and green for the energetic one, so their owner is probably nearby.

 

 

Then, as if his suffering is not enough, the stoic dog looked away from the smaller, energy bound one, saw Jesse and Gabriel. And scoffs a doggy scoff.

 

 

Which in Jesse’s convoluted mind, is translated to be an invitation, because his massive - and admittedly quite strong - mutt decided to conveniently forget he has an owner pulling at his leash and _runs._

 

 

_“Madre di dios! Jesse! Hijo de puta!”_

 

 

At 3.43 pm in a Tuesday afternoon, in a park - thankfully - quite scarce of people, Gabriel Reyes, ex Spec Ops commander with 30 - 40 years worth of service under his belt, tripped over his own legs and fell face down on the grassy land because his fucking ungrateful dog did not look back to pay attention to what his strength had ultimately caused.

 

 

The next chance he had, he’s having a dog meat fillet, animal rights be damned.

 

 

At least nobody is around to see this.

 

 

“Oh my god, sir, are you alright?! Do you need help?! Give me a nod if you can hear!”

 

 

_Cojeme._

 

 

Whoever it is had an unmistakably deep voice of a male, one that should not be used for panicking like that, so before they become any more panicked, Gabriel pushed himself off from the ground, cursing his dog, and had a line of rude words to shut the stranger up ready on his tongue before he actually look up and _stared_.

 

 

The person who had been endlessly filling his ears with irritation for the last five seconds has got to be the most pastel coloured _puta_ in his life because everywhere he sees is full of pink and cream. The polo shirt he wore had the colour of a light blinding baby pink, his khaki shorts had the most spotless shade of beige Gabriel has ever seen in his life, his glasses’ shades were even fucking red instead of the normal colourless it is like a normal human being, and his hair is snow white - there is no other description as to what that colour is - tussled over frowned forehead with skin so light this person probably never seen the sun before today.

 

 

Just 2 seconds and Gabriel already want to pull out his sunglasses because this person, even down, fuck, right down to his smile is blindingly bright. After all, compared to this person, Gabriel, with his dark grey hoodie, black knitted beanie, black baggy pants and black construction boots looked like a dark hole suddenly become sentient, grew legs and is walking around town with an equally dark coloured dog in tow. 

 

 

“Oh, you’re okay,” the walking collection of Fareeha’s baby room’s colour palette said, but Gabriel was still too shocked to even notice anything else, “Is everything okay? Do you need help?”

 

 

It took him a while to remember he’s being asked a question, and it took him a while longer to remember he’s flat on his front in grassy grounds, “Nah, i’m fine,” he groused, pushing himself away and dusting his clothes off. Shit, even his beanie fell down. When he gets hold of his— Ah, mierda, “Jesse!”

 

 

“Jesse?”

 

 

“Mi perro— My dog. Piece of shit dragged me down while running,” Gabriel patted his beanie, dusting off the dirt that latched to it and shoved it back to hide his short, greying curls, “You seen him? Bout this big,” he indicated around his hip, “Black with brown patches. Can’t stop moving for crap,”

 

 

The white haired man, curled his lips, before he pointed to a direction somewhere in their side, “You mean that big dog?”

 

 

Gabriel followed the direction.

 

 

True enough, his big dumb mutt is panting and wagging his tail endlessly in front of a dog almost half his size, who looked less than pleased the big towering thing is standing too close. Around them, the smaller yapping puppy is circling the bigger dog and Jesse, jumping and rudely pushing on Jesse, to no avail.

 

 

“Oh, he’s yours? I was wondering why there’s a dog that big around here,” the man next to him said, his tone sounding very amused, “And he’s really friendly too. Not a lot of dogs are that eager to approach Hanzo,”

 

 

I’d say he’s more than friendly, the ex military man thought quietly, until a thought crossed his mind, “Hang on, those two are yours?”

 

 

The bright smile is back, and Gabriel’s stomach flipped, “Well, Hanzo, the bigger one is mine. The smaller one, Genji is my neighbour’s son’s. I often took them both together for walks because they’re both siblings and well, its good to spend time with family, right?”

 

 

As an unmarried man who has not come to several family gathering and missed out on various relative’s funeral, perhaps it is best that Gabriel does not answer that question, “Siblings?”

 

 

“As far as i know. At least, they have the same mother,” the white haired man shrugged, before raising a brow and inspecting his dogs, “Does that mean i should call them half-sibling instead? I mean, it is a mouthful, but it won’t make people get the wrong idea,” he frowned, rubbing his chin with one hand. The guy seems genuinely considering this. For Gabriel, he was considering that this entire conversation is too wholesome for a man who was too used to trash talking and topics of war.

 

 

“Oh, right, where are my manners,” the guy laughed, a rich baritone that sounded so pleasant in Gabriel’s ears, he felt like he’s having a stroke, “Jack Morrison,” he announced, extending one hand, “I’m usually around here around the same time to walk my dogs,”

 

 

Jack Morrison. Fitting, homey and so— civilian. He’s really not used to this whole thing, not even after 2 years after being discharged, “Reyes. Gabriel Reyes,” he replied, shaking Jack’s hand. It was a little surprising to see the power behind the handshake, and he concluded from years worth of practice that even behind the flimsy and cheerful persona, Jack might - or used to - have a job that requires physical activity.

 

 

The peace was shattered however, at a sharp bark, one that’s much more deeper than the small mutt’s - Genji? - and a little too light to be Jesse’s. Gabriel watched as the wolf-like dog of Morrison’s growled threateningly at Jesse, who seems a little shock until he overcome it and wagged his tail again. When Hanzo’s growling receded, Jesse began to move closer, and the smaller dog growls again.

 

 

“Mierda,” the tan skinned man grumbled, taking his hand away from Jack and started walking to the group of canines, “Jesse!”

 

 

Hearing his name, the Rottweiler turned, his tail wags stopped and almost looked guilty. But he didn’t move, not even as Gabriel marched towards him, “Come here!”

 

 

He always suspected that no matter how dumb his damn dog is, Jesse is smart enough to actually understand what he was saying. And it is usually evident in his behaviour, like right now, when he slinked away, and in an act of deviance, actually jumped behind Hanzo instead of obeying him.

 

 

Gabriel could feel a vein starting to pop.

 

 

“You little ingrate—“

 

 

“Now, now,” A hand was placed on his shoulder, and it took decades worth of training to stop his first instinct to deck the owner. Right, park, dogs, nice and too wholesome man who wore too much pastel, not an enemy war zone. Look at that, he’s getting a hang of it, “Jesse just wanted to play, right?”

 

 

The stupid mutt cocked his head, probably aren’t used to hear his name coming out from a stranger, but he soon lolled his tongue out again, clearly happy. He barked once and jumped on his front paws, almost crushing Hanzo’s curled tail and Genji’s entire body, who managed to sneak underneath and is still trying to push Jesse away. Genji yapped away in protest, noisy and loud for something so small, until Hanzo grabbed him by the neck to remove him from Jesse’s vicinity.

 

 

The little puppy is still growling at Jesse’s general direction from in front of Hanzo’s legs, but he sounded more like Gabriel’s lawnmower than an actual threat.

 

 

“I don’t think either of them is too happy with him,” the dark skinned man commented, taking in the stink eye Jack’s dog gave his own. Jesse didn’t seems affected by this, now that the nice stranger who called his name no longer grabbed his attention, and instead he wagged his tail again and leaned forward. Hanzo leaned away, and Genji started yapping repeatedly, shoving himself between the two towering bodies that is his older sibling and Jesse. To be honest, that noise is starting to make Gabriel dizzy.

 

 

Jack, however, seems to enjoy this way too much, “No, don’t worry about it. I mean, Hanzo is always a bit wary of strangers sometimes, but trust me, Genji’s always like that. They’d get along before long,”

 

 

Gabriel really, really doubt that.

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

“Dime, te divertiste, chico?”

 

 

Next to him on the wooden park bench, Jack laughed heartily, one hand affectionately rubbing Hanzo’s head. He probably think that Gabriel was cooing over Jesse’s latest predicament in his native language, or something equally cute and cuddly. Gabriel didn’t have the heart to correct him. 

 

 

Sitting in front of him was Jesse, head tilted to the side due to the added weight that has latched itself to his ear and would not stop rumbling like it was a broken motor. The big dog didn’t seem to mind, often purposefully swinging his head and the momentum would cause Genji to swing back and forth like a particularly large earring. A large and growling earring. 

 

 

Hanzo was staring at both canines with utter exasperation, if Gabriel thought animals could make such expressions. 

 

 

Jack chuckled, “I told you they’ll get along,”

 

 

Gabriel gives the man a quick glance, took in his joyful expression, and decided that even as a man who had caused the death of hundreds if not thousands unapologetically during his career, he didn’t have the heart to tell this oblivious man that no, no they really aren’t.

 

 

With a sigh, he grabbed Genji, who began to struggle, but in the end was no match for the strength of a grown adult human and had to let go of Jesse’s ear. The owner of said ear doesn’t seems to be in pain of any sort, considering that he immediately turned his attention to Hanzo, who sidled closer to Jack.

 

 

Genji barks loudly, repeatedly, and he swore if his owner - the person entrusted by his owner, anyway - is not right next to him, he would punt this little yapping machine miles away.

 

 

Instead, he held on to the small squirming body tighter, and dryly commented, “He had a set of lungs on him,”

 

 

Jack sounded proud, as he spoke, “Isn’t he? He’s really healthy since birth. Their poor mother was not, however,” he sighed, looking dejected all of the sudden. As if sensing this, Hanzo leaned closer and licked Jack’s hand. This little gesture brought a smile on the white haired man’s face, “Between Hanzo and Genji, their mother had several other broods, but i’m not sure what happened to them. As far as i know, they’re the only ones who survived,”

 

 

Gabriel had only known Jack for less than 3 hours, but even he could tell that the frown on the man’s face seems out of character. Smiling is a good fit on his face; frowns are not, “Was the mother yours too? And older pet?”

 

 

“Oh, i wish she had been,” 

 

 

There’s a story there, he knew, but Jack doesn’t seem forthcoming, and Gabriel’s in a dog park, of all places in the world, not an interrogation room. He not going to pursue something he’s clearly not privy to if he can help. Instead, he nodded towards Hanzo, who was still staring warily towards Jesse, “What’s the breed? Never see anything like ‘em,” he returned Genji to Jack, who was all too happy to be let go and immediately sidled to Hanzo. The larger dog hid him as soon as Genji was within reach, but the small dog refused, instead bouncing forward to growl at Jesse again.

 

 

“Oh, that’s because they’re a foreign breed. They’re called Shikoku, from Japan. Not entirely pure bred, but the mix is probably not that far away appearance wise so you can’t really tell,”

 

 

Gabriel nodded. Wow, this all sounds so domestic, talking about dog bred and shit. Living ‘normal civilian life’ - as Ana had put it - is really a different type of beast all together, “And yours? Jesse’s a Rottweiler, right?”

 

 

“Yeah,” despite himself, the ex-Spec Op Commander smiled and rubbed Jesse’s had roughly, making the dog bark and lolled his tongue happily at him, before turning his attention back to Hanzo and Genji, “Got him after i was discharged, a present from my team and a friend from a different platoon. Still can’t believe that little puppy turn this big in about 2 years,”

 

 

“He is quite massive, i’m actually impressed. And you were in the army? What was your rank?”

 

 

Oh, well, Gabriel may not enjoy living in the civilian world that much, but this part he loved, thrived even. Ana called him an arrogant bastard sometimes when he does this, but Reinhardt would only laugh and told him that after everything he did, he had the right to at least brag about his accomplishment a little, “Ah, i can tell you, _amigo_ , but i’m afraid i will have to kill you,”

 

 

Jack’s eyes widened behind his red-tinted glasses, and unlike the usual bar patrons who would either look unnerved or accused him of lying, he nodded, yet still retain the awe in his eyes, “Let me guess, Marine?”

 

 

Gabriel smirked wider, “Classified,”

 

 

“I can’t even ask your unit?”

 

 

“You can, but unless you’re the Secretary of Defense or the President, you’re not getting an answer out of me,”

 

 

It was almost amusing to see how Jack’s smile become wider with every answer he gave, unlike the usual nervous or suspicious glances he was given. Time to return the favour, “And i can tell you’re not always a civilian yourself, so how about you return the favour?”

 

 

The white-haired man laughed, and the sound was pleasing the more and more Gabriel hears it, “Oh, mine’s nothing as fancy as yours. I was ah,” he exhaled, pulling Hanzo closer to him. The dog seems to notice Jack’s sudden shift in mood, abandoning Jesse and Genji’s one sided war in favour of leaning closer to Jack and licking his face. Jack, in return, smiled and kiss one furry cheek, “No, i wasn’t in the army, i was in SWAT. Served for nearly over 30 years climbing the ranks, until i was injured and spend the rest of it in a small town’s department as the superintendent until a year ago and here i am,”

 

 

He doesn’t sound too happy about that, but at least, this time Gabriel can relate: Injured in a job they both like, and was forced to retire to either a peaceful life or a paper pushing job because having most of his nervous system no longer works after a large explosion means he’s a liability, decades of loyalty be damned. Gabriel does know he’s projecting, but what the fuck, he’s pushing mid-60s - which he will admit, because he’s not delusional like Ana or Reinhardt - from a high risk job where he expected to die in a long time ago but he’s not and he had to live the rest of it as a grumpy old man with awards he can’t even mention. He’s allowed to be salty.

 

 

“Anyway!” Jack exclaimed so loudly, he gained the attention of every single living being around, including Gabriel, the three canines, and even the squirrel wandering about on the tree since they got here, “I wasn’t kidding when i say that not a lot of dog ever goes near Hanzo, so i’m really happy to see that Jesse will. So, i know it might be pushing a little, but do you mind if we meet again around the same time tomorrow? You know, to let them mingle a bit more?”

 

 

Gabriel blinks, looks at Jesse, who was still sitting and staring at Hanzo - when did his dog become such a creep, _madre di dio_ \- while the dog he’s staring at is alternating between giving Jack nose pokes or Jesse a wary glare. Genji, finally tired of his entire yapping rampage is now leaning on his sibling to doze lightly. He still had one eye open, presumably to watch Jesse, but at the rate he’s going, it won’t be long before the little pup tire itself.

 

 

He turned back to Jack, who was staring at him expectantly with those large baby blue eyes, a colour so bright it’s not even concealed by his ridiculous glasses. In fact, the glasses made the irises looks more purple, and it’s completely adorab—

 

 

Oh, right he was asked something. Meeting again, tomorrow.

 

 

Between Jesse and Hanzo and Genji, who is not getting along well and is evident to everyone around except to Jack and Jesse to some extent.

 

 

And also a meeting between himself and Jack. Jack, the ex-police captain, who wears too much pastel colour and khaki shorts that revealed toned calf and little soft hairs, wears the most ridiculous glasses he had ever seen in his life, but also had a really, really nice smile and actually, if you ignore the dog smell, he actually smell good, in fact his dogs smells good he probably take care of them well, and he had a nice smile which is so adorab--

 

 

Right. 

 

 

Answers.

 

 

* * *

 

 

“So you agreed to meet him again tomorrow?”

 

 

“Yeah,” he said to the phone distractedly, the plastic device tightly held between his shoulder and ear. Both of his hands were busy holding a popcorn bowl and the other scooping it in generous amount to his mouth, as he watched the latest spanish soap opera, his late night ritual. Once he’s finished with the latest ‘delivery’ to his mouth, he brought the free hand down under the sofa, where Jesse is slumbering and rubbed the mutt’s ear, “Wanna tell him it’s probably useless, since the little mutt was angry at him all the time, and the big one he’s obsessed with doesn’t seem interested, but he seems determined so i can’t see why not,”

 

 

Well, that's the quick summary of it, at least. Ana probably doesn't need to know that.

 

 

“Uh huh,” Ana mumbled, and Gabriel raised a brow at her answer. 

 

 

On the screen, Rosita found out that Juan had been cheating on her with Juanita, who she recently found out was her own half sister. A teary debacle followed, with people angrily throwing vases at each other, flinging insults and petty declarations of love, and finally, as he had guessed several episode earlier, Juanita revealed she is pregnant, but not from Juan but from Ramirez, her rich family’s gardener who she had fallen in love with. Gabriel cheered childishly as Juan shook his head in disbelief and loudly exclaimed everything to be a nightmare, while Jesse, roused from his sleep by the motion on his ear, decided to lick clean the salt and butter from his fingers.

 

 

In his concentration for his soap opera, Gabriel had actually forgotten that he’s on the phone, until Ana piped back up, “Hey, Gabe,” she piped, which he answered with a grunt, “when’s the last time you went on a date?”

 

 

The scene is escalating right now on screen, because Rosita is screaming angrily at Juanita while Juan tries to diffuse to situation, but Ana’s weird question brought him back to their apparently still ongoing conversation, “Huh?”

 

 

“You know, a date?”

 

 

“What the fuck— i don’t know, like decades ago? Before i got enlisted i think,” he told her, “the hell brought this on?”

 

 

Ana laughed, almost in time with Rosita did on the soap opera as she revealed that her mother is, in fact, the woman Juanita’s father left her mother for. Ana’s laugh was a lot more gentle than Rosita’s psychotic one, but somehow, the one that came to his ears through the phone was a lot more sinister. It’s probably because Rosita is a spoilt brat while Ana is a capable soldier with dozens of successful high profile missions under her belt.

 

 

Under his hand, Jesse, now stuffed with the salt and butter from his hand, made a confused noise, before climbing over the sofa’s arm to sniff on his half devoured bucket of popcorn. The man absentmindedly  waved him off, earning himself a disappointed whine.

 

 

“Ana?”

 

 

Then, the woman stopped laughing. That sounds a lot more scary for some reason.

 

 

“Oh, nothing, nothing,” she hummed mysteriously, “Just keep me posted on this, this Jack person, will you, Gabe?”

 


	2. We're All A Bit Broken Inside

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gabriel meets with Jack again. Some stories are revealed, and Gabriel is feeling lost and out of his element.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Back again with a new chapter! 
> 
> Hope you'll enjoy!

 

 

“No, no, no, Luna, _querida,_ you don’t go back trusting Esteban after he cheated on you 3 times! One time is enough, what the hell are you doing?”

 

 

Of course, his sagely advice is largely ignored by the actors on the television screen, when the beautiful long haired woman sniffed dramatically and declared that she still loved the man in front of her. When the scene was over, the camera pans back to the actor, who slowly revealed a sinister smile on his face. Gabriel groaned, this episode sucks.

 

 

There’s a pitter patter of foot behind his couch as it has been for the last few hour, making the dark skinned man rolled his eyes before glancing up to the clock he placed on top of the television. The clock hands read that it’s still 10 a.m., “Jesse,” he called to the one responsible for the annoying noise, and was quickly answered by low bark, “It’s fucking 10, chico, we’re meeting them at 1. It’s still 3 more hours to go,”

 

 

He’s not sure whether or not Jesse actual understand how clocks works, but his dog is severely disappointed enough judging by the whines and sad howls he gave at his words, “Oh, fuck’s sake, Jesse,”

 

 

Another pitter patter, and Jesse appeared right next to him, putting his massive head on the sofa’s arms to stare at him with large dark eyes that’s almost pleading, “No,” Gabriel repeated, “3 hours early means, they’ll probably won’t be there until another 3 hours, so there won’t be a point for us to go now,”

 

 

Jesse was still staring at him. This is starting to annoy Gabriel more than watching how Esteban is flirting with another girl right behind Luna’s back again. 

 

 

“He doesn’t even seem to like you,” he said again, “Huh? Remember? He was more interested in hiding behind Jack than actually playing with you,”

 

 

The large dog howls, and fuck, if Gabriel didn’t remember he’s a dog, he would’ve thought that Jesse actually understand and is replying to him. Jesse finally left the arms of his sofa alone, only to walk around the sofa and plopped in next to him on the sofa. Gabriel never really minded having Jesse around the furnitures - heck, he’s even allowed on the bed sometimes, but only on special occasions - mostly because he never shed all that much, and even if he did, Gabe didn’t really care either way. 

 

 

Once his canine companion sat on the sofa, Gabriel noticed something else, “What is that?” he pointed to something red placed on Jesse’s side, something he probably brought over but missed his sight completely. He pulled it. It was a dog collar, a gift from Ana, and it was the tackiest piece of shit ever because the small plating in front of it read ‘BAMF’ in large lettering instead of allowing a space where he could engrave his dog’s name. Well, technically, Jesse’s name and his address is written on the back of it, but damn, it’s supposed to be on the front.

 

 

Gabriel hates it to pieces, but Jesse loves it for some fucked up doggy reason and tried to get him to put it on him every single damn time.

 

 

A snout pushed on the hand holding the collar, and Gabriel growled, “No,”

 

 

Jesse whined.

 

 

“No, i ain’t gonna let my dog embarrassed himself like this, like for fuck’s sake, _hombre,_ get a grip,”

 

 

Jesse barks, this time with a little more defiance. Gabriel looked at him incredulously.

 

 

“I know there ain’t accounting for taste, but damn, Jesse, no. Besides, Ana gave this because she wanna make my life difficult anyway,” because she knew he’ll be too lazy to actually buy a dog collar as per regulations, so she’ll buy him the worst thing she can find so that’l force him to buy a new one. Evidently, she probably didn’t expect the dumb mutt to actually like it. Or maybe she did, the calculating bitch.

 

 

Why is he friends with her again?

 

 

Oh, right, because the rest of his friends are either dead, missing or probably won’t be able to come back to the world of living anymore so they’re also dead.

 

 

Making life long friends that won’t soon disappear from your life aren’t exactly what the world of covert operations is known for after all.

 

 

Gabriel smiled sardonically, “Well, at least now i got you, _mi hombre hermoso_ , eh?” he patted Jesse’s head, who now happily lolled his tongue and twisted his head around so he could lick at Gabriel’s hand. The man laughed, putting the remote in his other hand to use both of them to rub Jesse’s head and back, patting and combing through his fur while the dog barks and tries to lick his face, “Yeah, that’s right, my good buddy, even if you got bad taste in collars, weird taste in making friends,”

 

 

When Jesse finally managed to lick his face, he made a triumphant canine grin. Gabriel barks out a loud laugh.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Jesse ended up leaving the collar at home, but in order for him to finally forget about the abomination, Gabriel had to take him to the promised spot an hour early, so there he is, at 12 pm in a Saturday morning, sitting on a park bench while his excitable dog is barking and running across the park like he’s got an unlimited battery strapped on his back.

 

 

Gabriel’s feeling tired just watching him.

 

 

When Jesse trotted back to where he sat, the dog was holding a mouthful of flowers and flower petals, before spitting them out on the bench next to Gabriel’s thigh. The man watched the drool invested plants with disgust, “What the hell are you doing?” he asked, but of course Jesse gave him no reply, not because he couldn’t speak, but because he bolts off again before he even finished. The dog owner sighed and leaned back against the bench.

 

 

Spring almost ends, and soon it’ll be a definite hot weather instead of a confusion between hot and cold, and Gabriel could say bye to his hoodie and start wearing thinner jacket. He pressed his lips thin, and instinctively rubbed his back against the bench’s backrest. Nothing. Of course there’s nothing. He sighed. 

 

 

Had this been 10-20 years ago, he would not be here, sitting lazily like some punk in a park. No, he will be drilling his team for 500 meter run and hurdle jump, while he himself will have already finished 15 set worth of squats and pushups, in addition to his own runs and hurdle jumps. Then, after lunch in the barrack, he’ll be monitoring the shooting ranges, slapping the head of every useless pieces of shit who think that training mean they can show off. In the mean time, he’ll bring out Reaper and Death Blossom for a spin, showing off to the young starry eyed fucks how a real man take down his target.

 

 

Nowadays, he can’t even do 15 pushups without his injuries acting up in different places of his body.

 

 

“I’m old,” he whispered to himself when aforementioned injury suddenly twinge on the underneath of his right knee, where most of the bones there are a mixture of metal now instead of bones. He shattered his in the borderline illegal operation to liberate a Middle Eastern village, when a bomb had gone off and the rubble had broke most of his leg bones. The army doctor had wanted to cut his leg off then, but he knew that means the end of his service, so he threatened the _culo_ to fix it or he’ll kill him right then and there. The rehab had been excruciating, but it beats retirement.

 

 

A decade later it didn’t even matter. He’s out of there in the end.

 

 

A laughter sounded somewhere near him, “Do you make talking to yourself a habit?”

 

 

Gabriel wouldn’t admit that he was startled - because he’s not - but he really wasn’t expecting to see someone when he didn’t even hear them coming. Yet, standing next to the bench was Jack, dressed in aquamarine shirt that hugs his figure - his toned figure - another khaki short, and the same, honest to god, ridiculous glasses.

 

 

In his hand is a deep blue leash, attached to a collar that is only a shade darker, one that is also attached to Hanzo. The dog was staring at him warily, Jack’s own little sturdy guard.

 

 

The veteran glanced at his watch, “You’re early,”

 

 

“Half an hour early, i know. It’s a bad habit of mine,” Jack sheepishly told him, before sitting down on the bench. Hanzo sashayed along, his tail twitching every so often, “But even so, you’re even earlier than i am,”

 

 

Gabriel clicked his tongue, “Yeah, because that _tonto_ has been bugging me to leave since early this morning so i did it to finally shut him up before he howls my place down. Speaking of which, here he is now, with— Jesse! What the hell is that in your mouth?!”

 

 

His dumb big mutt eagerly jogged over with a large bag of sorts, a happy smile on his face, which somehow managed to grew wider without splitting his damn face when he caught sight of Jack and Hanzo. He barely acknowledged Gabriel’s tirade, and instead popped the bag in his mouth down on the ground to try and fit the thick flower mound on the bench into his mouth. It was a damn feat, and during his attempt, Gabriel inspected the bag.

 

 

“City Council— Dog Food?”

 

 

“Oh, right, there’s a container around here where the council supplied with dog food. Owners are allowed to take a bowlful to give to their dogs,” Jack leans over Gabriel’s shoulder to read the label, and damn, he smelled good, what is that cologne? No, it doesn’t smell that strong so maybe it’s the soap. It smelled rather sweet, like one of those products he remembered Fareeha used when she was in high school—, “But i guess there is no restriction that forbids a dog to take the whole bag,”

 

 

Jesse, finally managing to fit all of the flowers in his mouth with a herculean effort, staggered over and dumped all of the now wilted and damp flower in front of Hanzo. He then quickly climbed Gabriel’s legs to snatch the bag away, much to his owner’s protest and tear the bag with his mouth, making pellets rain on the ground. Some of them roll on the ground, some fall on Gabriel and Jack’s shoes. Then, spitting out the torn plastic, he held the now open bag and sat in front of Hanzo, right behind the flowers and wagged his tail.

 

 

Gabriel must be dreaming; he just watched a dog, his fucking dog, tries to initiate a date, complete with flowers and food.

 

 

Hanzo looked as mortified as he is, at least. The dog was standing shock still, back straight and tail alert, watching Jesse as if he’s an alien. Or just plain insane for a dog.

 

 

Jack though, oh, Jack is cooing, actually cooing right behind him, like he honest to god think this display is in any way adorable instead of disturbing, just as how Gabriel perceived it to be, “Aww, Jesse, are those for Hanzo? What a gentleman!”

 

 

Jesse wagged his tail harder, and finally put the bag down next to the flowers, nudging them closer to Hanzo with his teeth. Hanzo looks apprehensive, and Gabriel’s not even surprised. If some guy that has been scaring him since day one suddenly came to him again with flowers and food, he’ll whip out Reaper and Death Blossom faster than anyone can scream ’Stranger Danger’. Suddenly, Gabriel felt sorry for Hanzo and apologize to the dog for prolonging this encounter.

 

 

But then, Hanzo moved.

 

 

Both human waited with bated breath. The white-grey dog hesitantly glanced to Jack - as if asking for permission, or checking to make sure this is safe - before sniffing the flower and the food, slowly, all the while still staring at Jesse. Jesse, for his part lolled his tongue and sat on his hind legs, making himself seems smaller and unthreatening. Maybe that’s the point. 

 

 

Finally, Hanzo took a bite on one of the pellets from inside the bag, one, followed by two, and soon the dog’s wolf-like snout went inside of the bags.

 

 

Jesse jumps - almost giving Gabriel a heart attack and rounded both fellow dog and his little collection of offerings - yipping like he’s a little puppy again in elation and tried to sidled closer to Hanzo when the other dog growls, mouth still inside of the bag. He receded, but from his wagging tail, Gabriel can tell he didn’t mind so much.

 

 

Jack was cooing over their antics. Gabriel watched Jesse’s entirely lovestruck expression and felt a headache coming up.

 

 

* * *

 

 

“So, where’s the yap— i mean, Genji?”

 

 

After the initial feeding and flower giving ritual Jesse had imposed to his fellow dog, Gabriel found himself sitting on the bench with Jack, both of them watching Hanzo and Jesse frolicking around the tall grasses and bushes, some of them clearly devoid of flowers. Well, Jesse frolics, Hanzo was sniffing at the flowers fortunate enough not to be picked up while calmly watching Jesse. The weariness for the larger dog was gone from the Shikoku’s behaviour at least, but it seems like that doesn’t mean Hanzo will be all that pleased with Jesse being too close any time soon.

 

 

Jack smiled, “Oh, the Santos are going on a family trip for the weekend and they always take Genji with them or else, Lucio, their boy will be upset. So it’s only going to be me and Hanzo until Monday,”

 

 

“Genji’s owners?”

 

 

“Well, it’s actually just Lucio. He’s 11 years old now, and his parents thought it’s a good way to get him to learn responsibility that way,” Jack chuckled, “I think the only thing that happen was that they gain another son and Lucio gets a play mate,”

 

 

Huh, back when Gabriel was a boy, his mother would throw a sandal to his head if he even dared to give leftovers to the neighbourhood cat, much less even ask to adopt a dog. Of course, back then it was more because he had a grandmother then living with them that has asthma and between his parents, 3 siblings, his father’s brother, his mother’s mother, a niece from some obscure family member and said niece’s 2 years old son living together, it’s not like the can afford another mouth to feed or another tenant in the small place they call home.

 

 

Meanwhile, the majority of the people living in this town are middle-class families, and with only one son, he’d guess that adopting a small puppy, no matter how loud it is, won’t have the same concern.

 

 

He told this to Jack, who laughed, and laughed even harder when he explained the concept behind his mother’s sandals as punishment and the significance of a fly batter in her every children’s bedroom, ‘I had that growing up, but it was my father instead of mother. Whenever i was grounded, i had to wake up an hour early to milk the cows or feed the pigs, go home earlier than my usual curfew and i can’t have desserts after dinner. Which is a shame, because i love apple pies and nobody in Indiana can beat my mom’s apple pie”

 

 

Gabriel tossed his arm behind the bench’s backrest to accomodate hid barking laughter, “A farmer’s kid who loves apple pies who grew up to be a police office. The only thing not stereotypically American about you is probably the breed of your dog,”

 

 

“You want to know something even better? My hair was light blonde when i was younger and in those ‘who do you want to grow up as’ polls they made for grade school kids, i put _Captain America_ for mine for 6 years straight,”

 

 

He imagined little Jack from a countryside village, a little boy with bright blonde hair and light blue eyes, wearing a shirt with Captain America from the golden years drawn on the front as he fed cows and sheep. Gabriel turned to the Jack next to him, who was smiling as he watch Jesse offering Hanzo a dirt encased bone, probably dug from someplace nearby, and he thought ‘it’s a fitting image’.

 

 

When Jack turns to look at him, whatever word was on his lips seems to died down, “Is there something on my face?” he ask, “Why are you staring?”

 

 

Gabriel berated himself for not being more careful, but there’s no point in trying to lie when you’re caught red-handed, “Just thinking,”

 

 

“About?”

 

 

“About what sort of a heartthrob you gotta be when you were a kid. Bet the old aunts around town loved you, the little Morrison boy from the ranch, the very patriotic one,”

 

 

Jack blinked, once, twice, before a smile grew on his face that took a mischievous turn, “And i bet you were one of those boys dads have to be wary about, just in case their daughters starts mooning over you, and the next thing you know, that Reyes boy is on your porch, asking when your daughter’s going to be ready for the night,”

 

 

Actually, when Gabriel reached the appropriate age for dating, he had been in and out of juvie so many times people were wary of him for a different reason, and before he could actually enjoy something so menial like dating, Pa passed away from cardiac arrest and he fucked off by enlisting to the military, both to help with his records and because as the eldest son, he didn’t think its fair for his Ma to take care of so many children by herself so he’ll help her by discounting himself from the count. That was the last time he saw them, because before he knew it, he stopped being a cadet and was suddenly so deep in the military world he never came home anymore and his family probably also forgot there’s supposed to be one more.

 

 

He didn’t miss them all that much, and to drive the point home, he didn’t come back to his hometown after being discharged but move to a remote place the HR recommended as a peaceful neighbourhood. It was fine as long as he’s far from home. He doesn’t have a place there anymore. Just like how he doesn’t have a place anywhere.

 

 

Not anymore.

 

 

On the outside, however, he cackled, neither confirming nor denying Jack’s accusation.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Gabriel hadn’t been surprised to see that Hanzo couldn’t keep up with Jesse’s energy output, and had almost immediately fell asleep once they entered the cafe for lunch. What does surprised him was that Jesse, usually so hyperactive when he’s supposed to stay put, somehow opted to simply lay down in front of a dozing Hanzo, watching the smaller dog sleep. He wanted to kick Jesse for being such a creep, but for all he know this is a normal thing for dogs in dogs world.

 

 

Fuck, he could never do that, watching someone when they sleep, or being watched when he sleeps.

 

 

“I wanted to thank you again, by the way,” Jack said from in front of him, and Gabriel looked away from the two dogs to see him taking off his glasses and hanging them off from the pocket on his shirt. Without the red lenses, Gabriel could see a long old scar between the bridge of his nose, right between his eyes, “for letting Jesse meet Hanzo again. It’s really, really nice to see Hanzo finally having fun and play,”

 

 

Hanzo seems tired more than having fun, but Gabriel’s not going to be the one to mention that, “Wasn’t it like that before?”

 

 

Jack sighed, the scar between his eyes creasing along with his frowning brows, “No. They, that is, Hanzo and Genji, weren’t exactly raised as normal dogs,” the white haired man looked down underneath the table, where both dogs were, “It was a case, roughly a year or so before my retirement. The police department was asked for assistance from another department; they found a drug ring, and they didn’t have enough manpower to take them down, so we helped them,”

 

 

He looked tired, just from recounting the story, Gabriel noted, and it wasn’t hard to figure that to this day, whatever happened still affects him dearly, “The drug ring turns out not to only be a drug ring, but also one that occasionally held illegal dog fighting. We caught dozens of malnourished dogs, half dead, or severely injured, and amongst them were those two,”

 

 

Jack shook his head, clasping both of his hands together tightly on the table. His knuckles are slowly turning white, “The drug ring knows nothing about dog fighting, and the only reason why they participate is because they thought there would be a big money in it, and started capturing stray dogs, thinking its all the sames. As a result, they mostly lost, and when they did, they took it out on the animals,”

 

 

Gabriel frowned, taking a quick look at Hanzo, “That’s horrible,”

 

 

“It wasn’t the worst of it,” Jack continued, “The only dog that was relatively unharmed was Genji, and it was only because he was just so small nobody knows what to do with him. All of the fight dogs were so aggressive they fought each other, almost eating on each other,” at this he grimaced, and Gabriel could only imagine why, “When we found all of them, Hanzo was nearly dead, mangled by the other dogs because they are all bigger and more aggressive. The vets even told me that like the other dogs in the same condition there will be no chance of survival as well,”

 

 

“But Hanzo did survive,”

 

 

Jack nodded. It was a solemn gesture, “It comes with a big price. Hanzo ended up terrified of dogs and humans, and in that fear comes aggressiveness. No dogs wanted to be close because the risk of being attacked and the potential owners more often than not do not understand or do not want to deal with that sort of things. When i came to the pound where they were kept a month after the raid, Genji and Hanzo were still there,”

 

 

“Why Genji?”

 

 

At this question, a small smile appear on Jack’s face. It might be accidental, but Gabriel couldn’t help but feeling relieved and rather proud that he caused the frown to disappear even just for a little while, “The caretakers told me that out of all of the dogs, Hanzo never attacked Genji, and they’re both strangely protective of each other. That caused Genji to snap at everyone who tried to get close to them both and the caretakers just put them together,” Jack chuckled, “The caretakers told me they have no idea why, but i liked to think it’s because they both know they’re family. 

 

 

 

‘How do you know they are family, anyway? Did you had them checked afterwards?”

 

 

 

“No. One of the,” the frown was back. Gabriel sneered in displeasure and hid it behind his cup of coffee, “one of the appointed ‘carers’ in the drug ring confessed that they often took female dogs and breed them for new dogs. Not many of them survived due to botched proceeding, and most of the female dogs and puppies ended up dying. Hanzo and Genji’s mother was one of the few exception, giving them a few broods, but she eventually died, and most of the puppies either die from birth or died in the ring. I don’t like saying this but,” the white haired man sigh, and fondly gazed underneath the table again, “these two were the lucky ones,”

 

 

 

Underneath the table, Hanzo’s ear’s twitched. Jesse poked it with his snout, but backed away when Hanzo began to stir.

 

 

 

“I adopted them the very day i knew they’re still there, and you can’t imagine how happy i am that they were a little more welcoming to me than anyone else. I think they remembered that i was one of the people who helped free them,” he reached down and ran his hand through Hanzo’s back, gently massaging the sleeping dog, “I wanted to keep them both together, obviously, but my apartment only allowed one dog per unit. So i offered Genji, who probably has more chance for a normal, domestic life to the family next door. Lucio falls in love with him immediately, and despite my worries, Genji ended up liking him as well, so the Santos lets him in,”

 

 

 

Gabriel nodded absently, all the while watching Jack’s hand flitted over white and grey patches of fur. The Hanzo in Jacks’ story sounds terribly wounded, but the dog he’s seeing with his own eyes looks only to be on the tiny side. Jack obviously took a very good care of his own canine companion, “That’s real nice of you, taking in rescue dogs like that,”

 

 

“Well, what can i say, i love dogs,” Jack chuckled lowly, “And besides, only the wounded can help another wounded creature,”

 

 

It was said so low under his breath it was hard to catch, but Gabriel is a military man with training beyond a simple army soldier. He frowned at Jack’s choice of words, watching carefully at the care and love poured in a simple gesture of petting.

 

 

Suddenly, Jack Morrison doesn’t seem all sunshine and pastel colours anymore.

 

 

 

‘Well!” the man exclaimed suddenly, and it’s a good thing Gabriel is holding his cup tightly or else, he’ll pour the hot coffee down his pants, “Boy, can i talk or what? I’m so sorry for talking that much, you’re probably bored to death by me,”

 

 

Aaand he’s back. What the fuck?

 

 

Gabriel shook off his shock by literally shaking his head, and taking another sip of his coffee, “Nah, i’m the one who ask, anyway,” he smirked and aimed the tip of his boots to Jesse’s rump and hits bullseyes with one kick. The dog yelped, a rather undignified sound for a canine his size.  The dark-skinned man grinned when the dog threw him a little doggy glare before going back to his Hanzo-watching, “How about i trade you with stories about what a troublemaker this one was when he was a puppy?”

 

 

* * *

 

 

They traded stories after stories for hours, about their respective pets, about their time in their respective law enforcement branch - as much as Gabriel can without revealing anything truly classified anyway - and about so many things that caught their interest that they lost count of time and only realises just how late it is when the employee of the cafe told them that they’re closing down.

 

 

Gabriel has never felt so— animated in his life before. He had never talked so much, never offered to talk first even, especially not when it’s for small talks, and he had never, ever lost track of time. But somehow Jack, with his various anecdotes of farm animals, extensive knowledge of weapons that actually impressed Gabriel and even down to his quirky interest in health food for children - something he gained from taking care of all of the children around his apartment, apparently - has managed to do just that. He made Gabriel forget himself, and to be honest Gabriel doesn’t know how to feel about that.

 

 

Just as he doesn’t know what the fuck actually possesses him to insist paying for their lunch/dinner, and afterwards, to offer to walk Hanzo and Jack home.

 

 

It’s not like they even talk much on the way home, but Gabriel enjoyed it nonetheless, and it’s stupid.

 

 

But at the same time, it’s not.

 

 

He doesn’t even know how to justify this to himself.

 

 

Jack’s apartment was a small 6 story building with a classic look, but is well maintained on the inside. There is no elevator, sadly, and the only room on the first floor was the owner’s office and a maintenance room, right next to the mail room. His apartment was placed on the 2nd floor, which he jokingly said was chosen because of his ageing hips.

 

 

Gabriel replied that his hips looks fine, and it took him a second and Jack’s incredulous laugh to realize that it came out wrong. Just came out wrong, of course, because as he had observed when they climbed the stairs, it really does look fine.

 

 

Medical-wise, that is. And maybe a little bit of a proportion-wise.

 

 

Not that he’ll mention any of that.

 

 

When they reached the second floor however, Jack stopped, and Gabriel almost watched that hips a little too close, “Lucio?”

 

 

Gabriel peeked from behind the other man’s body. A group of children are sitting on the front of a slightly open door, one girl with short brunette hair and one boy with fancy dreadlocks, both surrounding a smaller girl with pink marking on her face. And, much to Gabriel’s horror, Genji ran from behind the boy, who he’d guess was Lucio and immediately ran over to Hanzo.

 

 

And immediately saw Jesse and began to yip incessantly again.

 

 

“Now, now, Genji,” Jack, the lifesaver scooped up the little mostly white puffball, bringing him back to the boy. Hanzo trotted along, all the while keeping an eye on the small dog, “Lucio, i thought your family will be away until tomorrow?”

 

 

The boy, Lucio, took and hold Genji tightly as if he was a doll, while the dog kept on glaring at Jesse and barking, “We were, but mom ate some shellfish and apparently she’s allergic to it, so dad bring us back home,” the boy frowned a little by how much Genji is squirming and finally caught sight of Gabriel, “Hey, who’s that, Mr. Jack?”

 

 

“Oh, right,” Jack motioned for him to come, and Gabriel did, falling behind Jesse’s more eager step, “This is my friend, Gabriel,”

 

 

“Gabriel Reyes,” he told the children shortly, and as an afterthought gave them a small nod. Damn, the last time he interacted with kids this small it had been Fareeha Amari, and between Ana and Reinhardt, who helped raised her after her father and Ana’s husband passed, she had been a tough kid that he knew what to expect from, not some neighbourhood kids from civilian families. This he’s not sure how to deal with.

 

 

Just to prove his point, the small girl with the gaming device and pink marker - is it marker? it looks like a stamp of sorts - on her face scrunched up her nose, “You’re weird,”

 

 

“Hana,” Jack scolded, even adding a wiggling finger as if he doesn’t look like a disapproving father enough, “don’t be rude to strangers,”

 

 

“But he’s not a stranger,” that last kid piped up, a girl with yellow-orange jumpsuit and blue goggles and a slight accent - british? Definitely british - in her voice, “You said he’s your friend, Mr. Jack!”

 

 

“Yes, but he’s a stranger to you, so be nice,”

 

 

The three brats looked at each other and intoned almost simultaneously, “Yes, Mr. Jack,”

 

 

Jack, for his part, smiled proudly like a proud father, “Good,”

 

 

Meanwhile, Gabriel just felt bewildered and out of place.

 

 

“Oh goodness! Is that your dog, Mr. Gabriel?” the british girl pointed to Jesse, before running to his side with little to no fear. It’s weird, Jesse’s size is always intimidating to a lot of people, but somehow, kids are always attracted to him. Seems like this kid is no exception, “It’s so big! Nice doggy!” she extended her hand, before hesitating, and turning to Jack, “Can i?”

 

 

Jack pursed his lips at her and nodded to Gabriel, “He’s not my dog, Lena. You have to ask his owner,”

 

 

She turned to Gabriel. Feeling trapped and out of his element, Gabriel nodded.

 

 

This led the rest of the kids to try and pet him, and Jesse seems to be all too pleased with the attention, sitting down on his hind legs and lolling his tongue to lick every little hand touching him. Lucio lets Genji down to try and hold on to Jesse’s ears with two hand, which is a mistake on its own, because the little rascal jumps and actually tries to bite Jesse’s tail.

 

 

He didn’t manage to go too far when Hanzo, almost out of nowhere snatched him up, much to Genji’s yipping protest and pull him away.

 

 

Gabriel raised a brow at that, and when Hanzo caught his eyes, the dog huffs and looks away. The latino growls in return. He might know the dogs’ story now but still. Rude bitch.

 

 

“Okay, guys,” Jack claps his hand gaining everyone’s attention, “I know you liked Jesse and he obviously liked you guys too,” as if for confirmation, Jesse woofed, wagging his tail in emphasis, “But it’s getting late and Mr. Gabriel and Jesse has to go home,”

 

 

The three kids’ face fell, “Aww,” the british girl, Lena, said, “can’t he stay longer?”

 

 

Gabriel actually didn’t mind, but his soap opera is playing soon and if he’s any later, he probably won’t catch it and there is no way he’s missing tonight’s reveal about Aletia’s supposed brain tumour and how Nicolas’ debt will leave him coming back to his parents house, “Yeah,” he told the girl, “Sorry. But i’ll be back tomorrow if you like,”

 

 

All humans alike, and dogs, are staring at him. It took him a while to realize why.

 

 

Why is he so slow and so prone to blurting the wrong shit out today?

 

 

* * *

 

 

“So you’re going back there again tomorrow?”

 

 

He almost missed the episode when he got back, but it turns out he didn’t miss much: Aletia’s brain tumour hasn’t been discovered to be true or fake yet, and there’s a lot of scene about Eduardo fighting with Nicolas before they get to the matter about his debt. All in all, he’s just glad he made it on time, “Even better. Those kids scammed me and get me to come there early so they can see Jesse before Jack brings him and Hanzo to the park,”

 

 

Ana’s laugh was sharp and ringing in his ear. Gabriel scowled, “Gabriel Reyes, you weren’t being scammed by kids, you damn moron, it just turns out that big bad Commander Reyes has some soft spot for kids,” she chuckled, “And apparently, to pastel wearing men as well,”

 

 

Said ex-commander growled, “I don’t have soft spot for kids,”

 

 

“Ah, but you didn’t deny the last part,”

 

 

“That’s because i didn’t hear what you say, _Puta,_ the television’s volume is on too high,”

 

 

“Excuses, excuses,”

 

 

Gabriel ran his hand through his curly greying locks, twirling them slightly in his finger before tugging on them, “Hey, Ana,”

 

 

“Hmm?”

 

 

“I ain’t used to this life at all,”

 

 

There’s silence from the other end of the phone, until there’s a static. Ana’s sighing, “I know, Gabe. I’m sorry,”

 

 

“Tsk, ain’t your fault. You weren’t the one who decided i should be kicked out,” he grumbled, but there was no anger in it. If anything, he’s just resigned, just the way he always has been for the last who knows how long, “Ain’t your fault i survive long enough to retirement either,”

 

 

Ana laughed, like she is prone to do these days compared to their days in the covert ops. She is now living with Reinhardt in a small house they pay half and half for, somewhere Maine, at least a 1 day drive from where he is. Their most often visitor is Fareeha, who follows her mother’s footsteps in the military world and is now a Lieutenant-Colonel - soon to be promoted - in the Air Force, and her girlfriend Angela Ziegler, apparently a doctor, as Ana always proudly mentioned. These days, there is also the neighbour, a girl named Brigitte often visits them to take care of their groceries in return for stories from the olden days and handyman lessons from Reinhardt.

 

 

Once Gabriel asked if there is anything between her and Reinhardt, something he asked in all seriousness and they had both given him the same answer: They were both too old, too beaten down by life, and has seen too much to believe in happy family. What they share with each other is camaraderie and a lifetime worth of trust that they have each other’s back. They told him bluntly that he wouldn’t understand, and Gabriel didn’t hesitate to agree. Gabriel was far too broken for even that.

 

 

Until now.

 

 

“Gabe?”

 

 

“Hmm?”

 

 

“You know how you always laughed at me for believing in fate?”

 

 

“Hmm,”

 

 

Ana laughed, the voice low and soothing. It reminded him of simpler times, when it was either friends or foes, where any friends could be foes and foes would always be foes, but not Ana or Reinhardt. He placed their trust in them, until he couldn’t and it cost him dearly. The reminder would always be there, in Ana’s missing eye, in Reinhardt’s scars, and it is tattooed all over his body, something he will always see whenever he undressed, or when he leans against something and he doesn’t even feel whatever it is.

 

 

“Gabe, i still believe in it despite everything you ever said,” she told him, “And i think, fate wanted you to survive, because you deserve happiness,”

 

 

He clicked his tongue. The volume of the TV is down, and even thought he knew the scene that’s playing right now is the one he was waiting for, of Dr. Lopez giving Aletia her results, he’s not even watching anymore, “I ain’t happy with this life, Ana,”

 

 

“I know you’re not,” she agreed, “Not now,”

 

 

“Huh?”

 

 

She laughed again. No matter how much he told her that sound irritated him, he wouldn’t replace it for the world, “I just had this feeling, Gabe, this good feeling i can’t shake off,”

 

 

The old woman didn’t elaborate, and after a few more small talks about news, he hung up. Gabriel sighed, running his hand down his face. Good feeling, huh? The last time he had a good feeling had been during a raid where he gain 3 exceptional award and lost 5 good men. That night, he toss those medals on the floor, and drink himself to stupor, one shot to commemorate each of the 5 men, and the men he lost before, and before, and before. 

 

 

He looked down to his lap, at the draped fur over his thigh, rumbling like a vibrating heater blanket, “Jesse,”

 

 

The dog looked up, blinking at him with large eyes. He gave the dog a smile and rubbed his face affectionately, and was given doggy slobber over his face as a thanks. He chuckled, “Come on, i’m turning in early,” Gabriel turned the television off, just right after the commercial break ends, and pushed Jesse off from his lap, “You can come with me to bed this time,”

 

 

Jesse looked at him quizzically, as if asking if he’s sure. Gabriel gave him a wry smile, “Eh, it’s a special occasion, _chico_ ,”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> querida - darling  
> hombre - man  
> mi hombre hermoso - my handsome man/handsome guy  
> culo - ass  
> tonto - stupid
> 
> -
> 
> Okay, so i am trying to keep it on the fluff and happy side, but yeah, it wasn't supposed to be fully fluffy, as in it does have some element of angst in it so, i'm sorry?
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	3. Through a Child's Eyes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gabriel found himself as a babysitter for the day, Jesse is being stupider, but not more than usual, and Jack really, really had nice eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, hello, i am back.
> 
> Hope you like this update!

 

Jesse hadn’t been as impatient as he had been yesterday, but that doesn’t mean he didn’t cause Gabriel headache.

 

 

15 minutes before they were supposed to be out of the door, Jesse was waiting in front of his bedroom door with his godforsaken BAMF collar in his mouth again, a daily thorn at Gabriel’s side at this point, but that’s not all. In front of his feet was a small mountain worth of dog toys Ana and Reinhardt always spoil him with whenever they had come to visit, and right next to it is one of Gabriel’s ratty sports bag, a faded emblem of his old unit folded underneath heavy tarp.

 

 

When he didn’t react, Jesse put the collar down and nudged on the toy mountain, making the glittery ball on the top roll down and swipe the bag closer with his tail. He looked impatient, glowering at Gabriel as if asking if he caught if meaning.

 

 

His owner sighed, running a hand through his damp face from  his morning shower, “No, i get what you want me to do,” he told the dog, “I just don’t get _why,_ ”

 

 

Jesse barks. That doesn’t answer his question. Or maybe it’s supposed to, but he can’t fucking speak dog.

 

 

Gabriel glared at him, and tried to side step the toy mountain.

 

 

Jesse moved to block him, and Gabriel stared at him incredulously.

 

 

“No, Jesse,” the man raised his voice, trying to side step again to a different patch of floor. Jesse was quick to block him again, leaping almost gracefully to the spot of floor he had been aiming for, “Jesse, you fuck— No! You’re not taking all of that with us today!”

 

 

The large mound of black and brown fur growls, honest to god growls at him, and nudged the toys and bag even closer. Gabriel furrowed his brows, and smirked at the determined face Jesse was putting, “Fine, we’ll bring them with us,” he told the dog slowly, who perked up, “But, only if you pack the bag yourself,”

 

 

If cheering because you won an argument with your dog is something Gabriel Reyes will stoop so low to do, he would do so without a doubt. And he did, poking out his tongue at Jesse’s widened eyes and doing a little cha-cha step around the toy mound to avoid falling and breaking his hips, “Better hurry up, chico! We’re leaving in 10 minutes and any later than that, you’re gonna make Hanzo wait!”

 

 

Jesse’s barking was more than indignant, and Gabriel cackled all the way to the kitchen to fetch himself some coffee. 

 

 

Ah, as if Jesse could even do something like packing stuff for himself. Even Reinhardt has expressed frustration in trying to teach him how to pick up and clean up his toys after he finished playing with it, and what he hasn’t been able to do when he was a puppy, he sure wasn’t going to be able to do it now. Sure, he’s not really cleaning anything up, but there is a reason why he had wanted Gabriel to pack up his stuff instead of doing it himself and it’s because the lazy little slacker would prefer having people bend over backward for him instead of doing it himself.

 

 

Checkmate, _tonto._

 

 

* * *

 

 

“Oh my,“ Had been the first thing Jack said when he opened the door, “Are we going somewhere? That’s a lot of stuff you got there, Gabriel,”

 

 

Slung on his shoulder was an overstuffed bag that used to hold change of clothes, ammos and equipments, but now it held dog toys and food of different size and weights, the zipper barely able to hold it together. He didn’t even know Jesse had this much toys, and he didn’t even know Ana and Reinhardt visited that often. Or maybe they don’t, they just sneak a lot of stuff behind him to give to his fucking spoilt dog.

 

 

The smile on Gabriel’s face was beyond forced, it looks mighty painful, “Yes, Jesse insisted,”

 

 

Jesse’s bark may sound innocent enough, but to Gabriel’s ears, they sound so fucking smug.

 

 

Jack greeted the _cabron_ with a pet on the head and a scratch under the jaw, before inviting them in, “I’d like to go out immediately, but after you left, the kids kinda ask me to bring them along,” the white haired man told him once he was inside, “They wanted to meet here first before we leave, because their parents just want to make sure i’m okay with it. Is that okay with you?”

 

 

Gabriel told him he didn’t mind, while he tried to run Jack’s words through. Their parents wanna make sure that he’s alright with it. So evidently Jack is a trusted figure around this place, at least by those kids’ parents, and those kids probably has a history of slinking off to his place without asking for their parent’s permission. 

 

 

“You sure that’s okay?” he asked, and refused when Jack offered to take off his jacket. He told the man it’s because he can’t stand the weather, but really, _no_ , “They know you, they hardly know me,”

 

 

At this, Jack laughed, “Oh, no, they do actually. Last night, after the 3 got back, they told their parents about you and their parents ask me about you this morning. They trusted my judgement,” he smiled and patted Gabriel’s shoulder. His hand felt warm even through the jacket Gabriel wore, “And i know you’re a good guy,”

 

 

Lifetime worth of experience, people’s comment and actions would prove Jack wrong, honestly. But Gabriel instead ask, “Why’d you say that?”

 

 

Jack’s laugh was warm. The warmth it sent to Gabriel’s ear and the depth of his stomach was different from how Ana’s affect his. Different, not that he could explain it, “Well, i always say that people who liked dogs are nice people,” he explained, winking secretively, “And even if you didn’t, i just know! I’m a good judge of character, you know, that’s how become a police in the first place,”

 

 

Gabriel Reyes is not nice. A lot of people told him that, the people he tortured told him that, and the people he’s friends with will tell people that. And he always believed them.

 

 

Somehow, in that moment, he believed Jack Morrison, who he only met 2 days ago in a dog park, above any other people in his life.

 

 

So instead, Gabriel snorted playfully, “Well, that explains you,”

 

 

Jack laughed, and invited him inside.

 

 

Jack’s apartment was very much like him; warm, cozy, and homey. The place was well maintained, with faint laundry scent emanating from somewhere deeper in the place, intermingling with a faint tea scent. The throw cover on the sofa was fluffy and well folded, there are fresh fruits in a bowl on the dining table, right next to a plate of chocolate cookies, there’s actual, live potted plant on the window, and on the fridge was a variation of doodles and hand paint pictures, obviously made by children. It looked like a place with the level of cleanliness you wouldn’t expect from a bachelor like Jack, yet somehow, when you know the man, this is exactly the sort of place you’d expect him to have.

 

 

But something stings the more he looked around, something that, while the entire place was a far cry compared to Gabriel’s depressing pig sty, felt so familiar.

 

 

Both this place and his own place felt so lonely.

 

 

There’s no family pictures, no pictures of coworkers, no medals that he’s sure Jack must’ve had, no plaques of accomplishment, nothing. The only personal touched around the place was the doodles and seemingly handmade craft here and there - from the neighbours and their children as Jack told him the day before - but none of them was of Jack. This place could’ve been anyone’s place, not necessarily belong to a country boy, ex-SWAT and police superintendent named Jack Morrison.

 

 

But he stopped right there. His days of psychoanalysing every little thing he came across is over. It ended long ago, and it wouldn’t be polite to start again in a place he’s only a guest to.

 

 

So instead, Gabriel took a seat at one of the offered seat - the one on the dining table - and take one chocolate cookie, “You made these?”

 

 

Jack gave him a glance from what he was doing on the sink - cleaning a cup, he thinks - and shook his head, “Nah, i can’t bake to save my life. There’s this guy upstairs who likes to, though. Bastion owned a pet store down the road, and really liked to bake cookies and cakes for the tenants around here. Nice guy, the kids love him to bits,” he then stopped and pursed his lips, “I think he used to be in the military too, since i saw the tattoo on his bicep once, but he didn’t really like to talk about it. It’s hard to believe, considering how sweet and meek he is, but hey, don’t judge a book by its cover and all,”

 

 

Huh, he used to know a guy named Bastion Omnica, back when he was ‘on lend’ to the 1st Armoured Division in Texas. But even if he met the guy, he probably won’t remember.

 

 

Jesse tried to climb his legs to get a taste of the cookie, but Gabriel stared him down. He might still be pissed about the toy thing, but he’s not about to let his dog poison himself with chocolate.

 

 

“Oh, right, Jesse,” Jack called, and the big dog’s attention was immediately on the white haired man instead of the forbidden delight in his owner’s hand, “Can you please get Hanzo for me? Just through that door, my boy,” he pointed to a slightly ajar door, just right across the kitchen, and Jesse immediately snatched up his precious bag from Gabriel’s feet and sped up to the small door. Jack laughed at his enthusiasm, and turned to Gabriel, “He’s really smart, you must’ve trained him well,”

 

 

“Eh, didn’t train him at all. He’s just too used to human, if he had the appropriate tongue he’d be talking back at me right now,” And it’s true. Jesse probably never met another dog in his life before, due to how lazy Gabriel had been before in taking care of him. The only reason Jesse was probably as healthy as he is right now was because Ana and Reinhardt has been hounding him to take care of Jesse better. He eventually did, but only eventually.

 

 

Even the walk in the park was something they only started recently. Well, evidently, if they had started earlier, maybe he’d met Jack earlier too.

 

 

Huh.

 

 

There’s some scuffling noises from the small room Jack had pointed to earlier, followed by soft yips and muffled barks. Gabriel frowned, “What’s that place supposed to be?”

 

 

“It’s supposed to be a storage of sorts, i think, but Hanzo liked it so much it’s now a small doggy bedroom,”

 

 

Of course Jack is the sort of person to give his dog their own bedroom. Of course he is.

 

 

Before Gabriel could reply, the doorbell suddenly rang, and Jack placed the dripping mug down on a drying station before wiping his hand with a rag, “I’ll get it, it’s probably the kids,” he hurried to the door, and Gabriel stood up to head over to the Hanzo’s supposed bedroom. Better make sure his dumb dog didn’t cause any difficulties for their host’s pet.

 

 

When he opened the door, he was met with squeaking noise he hadn’t heard for a long time, and right in front of him was Jesse’s towering form hiding anything else in the room from his sight. Gabriel had to loom over to see what’s going on. Lying down in a small, basket-like bed lined with satin - honestly, Jack, for a dog? - covers was Hanzo, hugging something large and blue underneath while trying to hide behind a second large blue thing. Jesse’s toys was all over the floor, and for fuck’s sake, even including the fucking collar.

 

 

“What the hell is going on in here?”

 

 

In Jesse's mouth is a squeaky toy he hadn't seen for a while in his mouth, which he dropped when he twisted his head over and barks, as if proud he had made such a mess. Hanzo, on the other hand, peeks up from under the blue large noodle things - dragon dolls, he found over closer inspection, two cute depiction of a blue eastern dragons to be exact - and gave a huff before hiding again. Seriously, what’s the bitch’s problem with him?

 

 

Hanzo’s room - bar the mess Jesse brought with him - is actually neater than his own, and Gabriel only felt a smidgen bad about losing in neatness to a dog. Aside from the two dolls, there’s actually some nice wallpaper plastered on of a near realistic rendering of mountains, a sparrow doll that looks to be over chewed on by something probably smaller than Hanzo on the corner, and there’s even a small light hanging on the room only as wide as Gabriel’s bulk that was shaped as an arrowhead and it looks like something cool you’d buy from a kid’s section of a home deco store. Hanzo’s pretty much treated like Jack’s own child, and it clearly shows.  

 

 

Meanwhile Jesse’s bed is either the sofa next to his TV sofa, a second hand tattered thing his mutt liked so much, or his own bed. Eh, he’s happy with it anyway, so Gabriel probably didn’t have to feel so bad about not having a private bedroom for his dog.

 

 

Before he could inspect things further, however, something furry made its way between his leg and suddenly there’s a headache inducing yipping right underneath him. Oh, for fuck’s sake.

 

 

“Genji! Where are you?”

 

 

“He’s probably in Hanzo’s bedroom, kids, go on, i’m pretty sure i just heard Mr. Gabriel going there too,”

 

 

And true enough, three kids appear behind him, Lucio, Lena and Hana, standing in order with their height. Whether is was conscious or not, Gabriel couldn’t tell, “Genji! There you are!” Lucio exclaimed, and much to Gabriel’s surprise, actually slid between his legs and snatched the puppy up. He quickly step aside from the entrance to avoid the same incident, “Hey, Mr. Gabriel. Hi, Jesse!”

 

 

The kids are greeting his dog a lot more enthusiastically than they did him. It’s not like he minded, but really?

 

 

As the kids began to play with the three dogs, Gabriel caught sight of another man walking in with Jack, both who quickly spotted him, “And this is him! Gabriel Reyes, meet Professor Harold Winston Jr.,”

 

 

The man was hulking, not the kind of bulk you’d associate with an academic at all, but his smile was friendly and his glasses couldn’t even make it any more clear that’s he’s clearly intelligent, “Just call me Winston, Mr. Reyes, Harold’s the name everyone knew my father as,” he said, extending a large hand towards Gabriel. He shook it, and consider that even with the great mass, Winston’s hold does not hold the same strength as Jack’s did. So obviously, the hulking mass is hereditary instead of purposefully build to be so.

 

 

“Call me Gabriel,” Reyes is what his subordinates used to call him, or what’s left of them anyway. He didn’t think he’d wanted to share that extra detail in, “A professor. What’s your field?” he mulled over his words for a while, finding it took close to what he always said to whatever latest professional they need to help with the latest covert mission. It’s too close to the past for his comfort, so he added, “If you don’t mind me asking,”

 

 

Winston smiled politely, his eyes twinkling, ‘Not at all. My field is in genetics, specifically in genetic engineering, used to research it pretty enthusiastically too, until i got Lena. Nowadays, i taught them in online classes and a university just a town away,” at Gabriel’s questioning look, he added, “I’m her guardian. Her parents died in an accident a long time ago and they had me in their will as her godfather. I took her in gladly, but you know, being locked in a lab for days is not exactly an ideal sort of thing to do when you got a kid depending on you,”

 

 

Jack was looking at Winston with clear admiration on his expression. Gabriel couldn’t help but to feel the same way. He met some bad motherfuckers in his life, fathers and mothers who could care less about their own flesh and blood, and here is a man who clearly step up for a kid that’s not even his. He rarely respect people in his life, but he felt like he could extend that short list to add Professor Winston in them.

 

 

He didn’t stick around for long - he told them in whispers he needed to get some well deserved rest from Lena’s energetic self, which Jack laughed at - and once Jack made sure all of the kids got their coats on, they headed off to the streets.

 

 

Walking right next to Jack, just a step behind the kids and the dogs felt surreal. He occasionally saw people who would greet Jack and in association, greeted him too, had to make sure the kids weren’t walking too close to the street, making sure Genji isn’t trying to bite Jesse’s leg, and just the sort of commotion he wasn’t used to in his life. Or even the sheer level of mundanity he didn’t even know he was capable of.

 

 

In fact, since Jack came into his life, Gabriel had done a lot of things he thought he would never be able to do or experience.

 

 

“Mr. Jack!” Hana exclaimed as they passed a small convenience store on their way over, “Can i buy snack for the way?”

 

 

Jack nodded, herding all of the kids together before turning to Gabriel, “Sorry, but do you mind watching the dogs? They don’t allow dogs in the store,” Gabriel nodded and took the leashes with him - making sure to hold Genji up despite the little rascal’s protest - and leaned against a street lamp’s pole as he watched the white haired man followed the kids in. 

 

 

The shop keeper seems familiar with them, waving at every kid before chatting amicably with Jack. She’s a small asian woman with her hair pulled into an elegant bun held together by an intricate hair pin, leaning against the counter while stroking a little fluffy white cat wearing a blue knitted sweater. At least he knows why dogs aren’t allowed in the store now.

 

 

Underneath his feet, Jesse is trying to lean even closer to Hanzo, who leaned away, but unlike how it was before, the Shikoku seems a lot more reluctant to move. Gabriel even saw Jesse’s tail bumping against Hanzo’s several time, without the owner of said curled tail reacting in anyway. Huh, what do you know, maybe he was wrong.

 

 

Meanwhile the small furry thing in his arm is rumbling with fury, and not even his glare is enough to make the small angry dog be quiet. Gabriel raised Genji to eye level, making the dog glare at him in return, “Cut it out,” he ordered, but the puppy only barked at him in reply. He glared harder, Genji barked even harder.

 

 

“If your owner and your brother’s owner isn’t inside, i’ll step on you, don’t think i won’t,’

 

 

Genji barked again.

 

 

Sighing, Gabriel held him back on the crook of his arm, but he missed, and Genji leapt down, right on top of Jesse’s head. He started chewing on Jesse’s ear again, clearly full with contempt, but Jesse’s bark and howls was more playful than to be a plea for help. Great, his dog is so stupid, he doesn’t know he’s being assaulted. Before Gabriel could pick up the angry white fluff from Jesse’s head, Hanzo climbed over the Rottweiler’s bulk - almost slipping a few times due to the size difference - and pulled on Genji by his tail.

 

 

Genji seems indignant, and tried to leap over the barrier that is Hanzo’s own body to reach Jesse, but instead the larger dog held him by the neck and held him there despite his wiggling protest, like a mother holding on to a misbehaving child. Jesse looks in awe. Gabriel slapped a hand to his forehead.

 

 

“What’s wrong?” Jack’s voice flitted to his ears, and Gabriel looked up to see the man standing in front of him with two cups in his hand, while looking at the canine group. Gabriel sighed miserably, kicking the edge of his shoe to Jesse’s thigh.

 

 

“Some dispute over attention,” he grumbled, when Jesse ignored his feet pokes and kept on watching as Hanzo tried to keep Genji in line, “Let’s just say that someone isn’t too thrilled about Jesse looking for Hanzo’s attention,”

 

 

The smile on Jack’s face was blinding, “Well, he’s just a puppy, after all. I’m sure Genji’ll warm up to Jesse in no time after today. And speaking of warming up,” he extended one of the cups to Gabriel, “I’m not sure of you prefer coffee or tea, so i ask Mei to make you some hot chocolate instead. I hope you don’t mind sweets?”

 

 

He didn’t like sweets at all, actually, but he still accepted the cup and drink the sweet cocoa drink without a wince despite his protesting tastebud, “It’s good. Thank you,”

 

 

“Thank you for watching the dogs actually,” Jack told him, before leaning against the same pole. The warmth that seeps through their touching forearms beats the hotness from the hot chocolate cup, “The kids are paying their purchases right now, so we can go,” Gabriel hummed, and sipped on more of the hot chocolate. The sweetened milk taste like the sort of thing he would’ve thrown at the frightened barracks cook’s face and accused him of poisoning him once upon a time. He smiled and took another sip in front of Jack, who took some sip out of his own chocolate cup.

 

 

On the counter where Jack had leaned on previously, the young girl scanned over the kids’ purchases, and he watched as the three kids scrambled to put in the correct amount of money to pay the cashier. Hana’s wallet, a small stuffed bunny he thought was a doll on the first glance was opened to reveal various assortment of coins, candies, and what he think is stickers. Lucio’s wallet looks like a frog’s head, opened on the top by a metal latch, and from it he pulled out two one dollar bills, which he gave to Lena, who added her own bills from her pocket. 

 

 

As the kids offered the assorted bills to the cashier, Mei, she leaned over, placed her hand to prevent Gabriel from being able to read her lips and leaned down presumably to whisper to the kids. She was glancing at him and Jack in what she probably thought it a subtle manner, but Gabriel caught it nonetheless and raised a brow. The three kids giggled to themselves, leered at him and whispered almost conspiratorially between the 4 of them, pointing to him even less subtly than Mei did.

 

 

Gabriel narrowed his eyes.

 

 

When the three kids walked out and Jack was too busy tending to the dogs, he pulled all three and bowed to their level, “What were you guys talking about with the cashier earlier?”  

 

 

Hana and Lucio looked at each other and giggled. Lena, the cheeky brat, patted his shoulder and grinned brightly, “Oh, don’t worry too much, old chap. It’s nothing bad, we promise,”

 

 

Somehow, that made him even worry even more.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Their walk turns into a picnic when the kids revealed just how much they bought, much to Jack’s apparent exasperation and amusement, and using Gabriel and Jack’s combined jacket and coat size, they made a decent picnic blanket for the three kids as they both took residence on what could now be christened as their bench.

 

 

Gabriel had finished the hot chocolate, and was offered Hana’s soda - Mountain Dew, it said, more like Satan’s saliva - to wash the sweetness away. He took it.

 

 

They let the three dogs roam free; Jesse, who had managed to find some activity of sort to do was now trying to get Hanzo and a strangely subdued Genji to join in. Turns out he wanted to chase some squirrel, and if he was putout that it turns out both Genji and Hanzo are faster than he is in catching the little critters, he didn’t show it.

 

 

“Mr. Gabriel,” he heard Lucio call, “Are you married?”

 

 

Gabriel almost choked at the question, and Jack outright did so. He looked mortified, even and his face is as pink as the vest he’s wearing today, on top of a brown shirt, “Now, Lucio, that’s not very polite to ask—“

 

 

“Nah, i don’t mind,” he assured the man, before turning to three inquisitive pair of eyes, “And no, I’m not,”

 

 

“Do you have a girlfriend?” 

 

 

“Or a boyfriend?”

 

 

“Now kids—“

 

 

“I don’t,”

 

 

“So,” Hana looked at her two other accomplishes, before turning back at him with a big smile, “You’re like Mr. Jack, then!”

 

 

Jack looks beyond mortified, he hid his face in his hand, and a low grumbling could be heard under his breath. Somehow, seeing Jack so flustered is making Gabriel smile and he patted the man on the back, “Apparently, yes. Yes, i am,”

 

 

“Are you too busy too? Because Mr. Jack said he’s busy being a policeman, that’s why he didn’t have time to get married,” that was Lucio, who was reaching a hand down his snack box and popped 3 of them at once.

 

 

Gabriel barked a laugh, especially when he heard Jack groan, “Well i wasn’t a police man, i was in the army, but i guess it’s the same basic premise,” at the blank stares he received, he reiterated, “I am, but instead of a police, i was too busy being in the army,”

 

 

It must’ve took an impressive muscle control for Lena to be able to open her mouth that wide as she gasp, “Wow. You’re in the army,”

 

 

“So, so, so you’re like the guys in Call of Duty? Do you shoot bad guys, and save hostages?” For someone so small, Hana’s voice carries, and she was the only thing Gabriel could hear between the kids’ questions, “Do you kill people in real life then? That’s so cool!”

 

 

He did all of them, and more. He shoot the ‘bad guys’, even with the knowledge that the bad guy was no more a pawn than he is by someone with more power than he ever will, he didn’t save as many hostages he would like to, and he did kill people. He maimed, decapitated, tortured, blow people up, both enemy and comrades alike. He had done, and seen so many horrors that life could give, the absolute worse a man would do in order to survive and he had done them as well. 

 

 

He did all of them so many time he had become so desensitised by it. By the time he held enough power to be the one who ordered those maims, kills and torture, those are no longer people. They are stats, counts, numbers, and  mission objectives. He stopped thinking of them as men with family they wanted to go home to, men with loved ones and he start seeing them as the obstacle he need to eliminate. In the deepest of it all, when his humanity, something he had traded away a long time ago for power and bloodlust, came to him in the depth of his sleep, he would lay awake, feeling dirty when he had taken a shower not minutes ago, feeling blood in his hand when he was not on a mission, and he felt heavy with the burden of life that he started killing more so that they will all be masked away.

 

 

He did that for more than 30, almost 40 years. By the time he was released to this world, this world with no violence, where the absolute worse of men is no longer seen, he didn’t know what to do with himself, when he had seen far, far too much. 

 

 

It’s not ‘cool’ when he can take a life of another human being and could no longer felt a slight remorse for it.

 

 

It’s not ‘cool’ to have ordered a young man to walk to his own death, and could do nothing but watch him die.

 

 

It’s not ‘cool’ when he stood in the middle of a vast graveyard, all of the names and dates listed on the marking stone, and you realize with heavy heart that most of them are younger than him, most of them had depended on him, and he let them down.

 

 

It’s not ‘cool’ when he, an old man who had done so many things in his life that cannot be forgiven and had nothing to loose, having to live out the horrors of his past, every dead eyes, every gun barrels, every enemy, and every single drop of blood that drips down from his knife, and yet somehow he is still alive. 

 

 

Nothing, not even a single thing he had done, was remotely ‘cool’.

 

 

“Mr. Gabriel,” a small timid voice called, voice no longer boisterous and loud but instead apprehensive and small, like a frightened child. Hana, whose face was pulled to a frown, unsure and a little scared, “You look so scary all of the sudden,”

 

 

“Kids,” he heard from next to him, “Go and play with the dogs. I’m sure they’re getting bored,”

 

 

The three kids agreed without a word, and hurried to where the canines are playing, leaving their food mess all over Jack and Gabriel’s combined coats. Jack was silent, and while Gabriel had actually expected him to say something - a scold, a question, anything - he deeply appreciated it. He huffed, trying to ignore how shaky it sounded, “That’s what they’re teaching kids nowadays? That being in the army, killing people is _cool_?”

 

 

“They,” Jack hesitated, “They didn’t know any better,”

 

 

Gabriel chuckled. It was void of humour, “Yeah, i bet. And i hope for everything’s sacred, they never have to,”

 

 

Silence descended between them. They watched as the kids played with Jesse, Hanzo and Genji, their excitement back, but Hana was still glancing back at him once or twice, her eyes unsure. Gabriel sighed, “I gotta go and apologize to her later,”

 

 

Jack shook his head, “No, i.. i should apologize. I should’ve stopped them before they ask too many questions,”

 

 

“Eh, they’re kids. What the hell do they know about— stuff,” Stuff as in his frequent flashbacks, his tendencies to overthink of what has passed. They don’t even know him. It’s not their fault, “And it ain’t your fault, either,”

 

 

“But it is! I, i’m so sorry, Gabriel, you’ve been so nice to us, and i impose this to you and i couldn’t even—“

 

 

“Ey, i mean it,” he put a hand on Jack without even looking, trying to get the man to stop his tirade. Jack was frowning at him, as if he didn’t believe him. Gabriel hated that frown with passion, “It’s not your fault, Jack. And it’s not those kids’ fault either. It’s no one’s fault,” He stared at Jack, eye to eye - to red shaded glasses, anyway - and squeezed, “It’s not a big deal,”

 

 

The blue in Jack’s eyes are so bright this close, even behind the red glasses. They are empathetic, full of worry, and as lovely as that is, Gabriel hated that. Those eyes are made for smiling, for looking at someone with care and happiness. The sadness has no place in those bright eyes. 

 

 

So he initiated the smile. 

 

 

Gabriel always thought smile doesn’t belong in his face. It made him look sinister, Ana said once, and it made him look like he’s plotting someone’s demise. Once, before a dignitary meeting when he first made commander, Reinhardt had personally pulled him away to teach him to to fix his smile, telling him not to pull too wide, not to squint his eyes a certain way, and by the end of it, he was so frustrated, he threw a knife at the mirror and left a sighing Reinhardt in the room. The meeting goes without a hitch anyway, and people seems scared of him, which he thought is good.

 

 

But now, now instead of fear, Jack watches him and he smiled in return. Jack’s face was made for smiling, a lot more than it was for him. The smile was sad, yes, and it left Gabriel unsatisfied, but at least that’s a smile, ’There you go,” he said then, almost jokingly, “That’s more like it,”

 

 

Jack laughed, small and breathy, and Gabriel could smell the telltale leftover of sweet hot chocolate from his breath. It was sweet, he liked it.

 

 

* * *

 

 

After dinner in the nearest restaurant - a chinese place, which Jack disapprove at first of because Lucio is allergic to nuts, until the boy insisted - they brought the kids back to Jack’s place, all of them in different states of sleepiness, “Hana’s parents usually work late, so if they don’t pick her up in an hour or so, she usually stays with me,” Jack explained as he ushered Lena to the sofa and let her turn on the TV. The three kids huddled close, Genji on Lucio’s lap, snoring and seemingly forgetting that Jesse is right next to him, “Winston will be down soon, and Lucio’s mom said she’ll be here after she finished cooking dinner,”

 

 

Gabriel nodded, observing each children. Lucio and Genji was in between Jesse and Hanzo, while Hana was curling around Hanzo and Lena draped herself on Jesse’s back. Three children was content in making each dog become their bolster, and the dogs didn’t seem to mind, “I can wait here if it’s okay with you. Jesse clearly wanted to wait,” he watched the large black dog nudge Lena’s almost slipping head  on top of his, which the girl replied with a smile and an affectionate pet.

 

 

“You don’t mind?”

 

 

Gabriel shrugged. Jack gave him a warm smile, “I’ll make something to drink then. Have any request?”

 

 

“I’ll have what you’re having,” he told the white haired man as he took a seat on the dining table, the same seat he sat on earlier in the day. He poached one more cookie from the plate.

 

 

On the sofa, he watched as Jesse, now sure of the comfort for his passenger, turned towards Hanzo. The dog was pointedly staring at the TV, but seems to finally notice the attention. The two dogs stared, and Jesse, the dumb dog, suddenly leaned forward and tried to lick Hanzo’s nose. Gabriel almost groaned. Dammit, chico, if you hadn’t succeed before, what makes you think you would—

 

 

Oh.

 

 

Well.

 

 

Instead of lashing out again, Hanzo leaned closer and almost tentatively, returned the lick. Jesse smiled the largest Gabriel has ever seen out of him, his tongue out, ears perked up and he’s panting like he had just finished a marathon. On his back, Lena frowned, probably feeling the rapid falling and rising of her mattress.

 

 

Jesse gave little whines, his large smile still present while he tried to lean again, but this time Hanzo avoided him. Ah, enough niceties for the day. The smile didn’t fall from Jesse’s face however, as if that had been more than enough. Why is his dumb dog so easily pleased?

 

 

A mug was placed in front of him, “Why are you smiling?”

 

 

He didn’t even know he was smiling, “Nah, just thinking why is Jesse so easily pleased. It ain’t normal,” he took the mug - it’s coffee and it doesn’t look like there’s much sugar, thank god - taking a quick sip before continuing, “Look at that, a big dumb smile on his face, all because Hanzo gave him some attention,”

 

 

Jack laughed as he took a seat next to him, “For someone who called Jesse dumb a lot, you sound like you really adore him,”

 

 

“Ey, what can i say. Kid might be dumb, but i’m the one who raised him, i’ll be proud of him no matter what,” he gave the sofa a sneaking glance and gave Jack a stage-whisper, “Just don’t tell him that, i don’t want him to think i'm getting soft with him,”

 

 

Jack’s laughter was delicious, and it sent warmth to Gabriel’s core more than his coffee did.

 

 

* * *

 

 

The parents pick their kids up almost at the same time as Gabriel finished his coffee, Winston, looking a lot more perked up, a woman who looked like a spitting image of Lucio, and Hana’s parents, both of them who thanked Gabriel and Jack with accented voice. As they continue to speak with Jack, Hana woke up, rubbed her eyes and tugged on Gabriel’s sleeve as her parents spoke to Jack, “Mr. Gabriel?”

 

 

He raised a brow, “Yeah?”

 

 

“I take back what i said,” she said sleepily against her mother’s shoulder, “You’re not weird. You’re really, really cool,”

 

 

Gabriel frowned at that, but tried to keep the smile on his face, “Like that Call of Duty thing you said earlier?”

 

 

He expected her to nod, but Han shook her head, her long hair shifting along with the motion, “No, you’re way cooler than that. You’re the coolest guy in the whole world,” she seemed to contemplate something, before adding, “Well, except for Mr. Jack,”

 

 

The pit in his stomach was gone, and Gabriel found himself laughing, “Yeah, i’d take that,”

 

 

She looked like she has fallen asleep again, when she spoke, “Mr. Gabriel,”

 

 

“Yeah, Hana?”

 

 

“If you don’t have boyfriend or girlfriend,” she said, “then will you be Mr. Jack’s boyfriend?”

 

 

Gabriel’s smile fell from his lips and was replaced with a gaping mouth, his eyes widened, “Eh. I don’t know, Hana. He’s— he’s a friend, a good friend even, but—“

 

 

“I think it’ll be cool,” Hana cuts him off, and she yawned widely before continuing, “I think it’ll be the coolest thing ever in the world,”

 

 

Unable to answer, the ex-commander looked at Jack, still in deep conversation with Hana’s parents, and back to the girl now staring at him with sleepy eyes, and back to Jack. He was laughing at whatever it is Hana’s father was saying, and with his glasses folded in his pocket, Gabriel could see the bright blue eyes twinkling as it always does. He caught sight of Gabriel’s staring, and threw him a small smile. Gabriel gave him a smile in reply.

 

 

When he looked back to Hana, the girl was fully asleep. 

 

 

He smiled, and patted her head affectionately. Kids. Always so idealistic.

 

 

* * *

 

 

During a rerun for an older soap opera series, one he had watched so many times, he tried to call Ana, and his call went straight to the voicemail. He checked, and found a text from her earlier today that Fareeha and Angela are taking her and Reinhardt to dinner while they’re visiting so she’ll be back late, and sorry to miss their nightly conversation.

 

 

Gabriel shrugged, turning the television volume a little louder at one of his favorite part - Anna-Maria falling dramatically when she is told that her son Mario and her rival’s daughter, Valentina has eloped in Paris, always a classic - and watched with amusement as Jesse slept with a smile on his dog-face. He had been skipping like a little butterfly all the way home, not even minding that Gabriel had slung the toy bag on him instead. What a stupid dork.

 

 

Then again, there’s an unexplainable smile on his face as he arrived home. He doesn’t get to talk.

 

 

He dialed Ana and Reinhardt’s home line again, and waited for the prompted beeping to start before he talk, ‘Hey, Ana. You won’t believe what a kid said to me today—“

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, so based on comments, i realize i shouldn't be so overconfident in myself just because i passed several level in duolingo, and so! Until i actually managed to be at least passable in my spanish, i'll try to refrain from using so many spanish word. I'm not gonna butcher someone's language.
> 
> That said, i'll still include some words, at least some i'm really sure of because hey, i start fics to also learn language and i don't mean just english. Just hit me up if you see anything wrong, and i'll fix it! Thank you for the people who told me!
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	4. Raining, Raining

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack suddenly doesn't look all sunshine and rainbow anymore, but Gabriel doesn't mind, because he doesn't have cheeriness coming out of his ass either.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for the comments and kudos for the last chapter! I'm so glad for the feedback, thank you, thank you, thank you!
> 
> Here's the next chapter! I hope you'd enjoy!

 

In the next three and a half week Gabriel found himself in a lull of a new routine. As always, he would wake along with the sun - a habit he had developed for most of his life and probably won’t loose until the end of his life - yet instead of simply lying down and trying to chase away the remnants of the ghost that visits him the night before, he would actually get up from the bed, showers, and dresses himself in something from the cupboard instead of being picked up from the floor. He would then come out to see Jesse still sleeping on the sofa, make himself a cup of coffee - black, no milk, no sugar - and let the hot water steep his beverage as he fill Jesse’s bowl for water and food.

 

 

The sound of pellet hitting the bowl would immediately wake Jesse up, sending him trotting down from the sofa and to the kitchen with a happy tail wag and an affectionate nuzzle on Gabriel’s calf. They would have breakfast together in the kitchen; Jesse with his dog food, and Gabriel with a cup of joe, sometimes a slice of bread when he felt like it, and even slathered it with butter when the day seems like it would continue to look up.

 

 

In the span of 24 days, Gabriel had eaten bread for 22 days, and slathered his bread with butter for 14 of them.

 

 

Before, his bread would only come out from the fridge once a month - and it was only because it started to grow mould - and the butter pack was practically non-existent.Today, he had a slice of wheat bread, a big change from his usual white one due to Jack’s recommendation, slathered with margarine, this time a free give away from Mei the shopkeeper, who gave her loyal costumers some sample as a promotional item. He could barely tasted the difference, but a gift’s a gift.

 

 

20 minutes later after the rerun of an old soap opera ended, the veteran cleaned his used utensils, cleaned Jesse’s, and left them to dry. For once, he could actually see his reflection on the sink, instead of staring at a clutter of stinking, moulding plates and food waste. It had been hard work, but he had been particularly bored that day, and he had spend the hour before listening to Jack talking happily about a new cleaning product while walking him home. He had bought the same one off of Mei’s store on his way home, and tried it, and ended up cleaning everything in his kitchen with it.

 

 

Well, at least Jesse was having fun playing with the flying bubbles.

 

 

10 minutes to 9, he is out of the door - but not before a 10 minutes customary debate over Ana’s hideous collar - with Jesse 3 steps ahead from him, all to eager to visit his literal puppy love.

 

 

“Keep it down,” he dryly told the dog when Jesse turned around for the nth time and waited for him to catch up with his pace, “Jack and Hanzo’s not going anywhere even if we’re a bit late anyway,”

 

 

Of course, he was not late the first time he agreed to come meet Jack in his house for their walk, and he’s never late for every visit since. Made even funnier whenever he remembered that they never made any actual promise to keep the visit, and yet he kept on coming around, and Jack never seems surprised to see him back.

 

 

Maybe it’s just one of those things that just happen and you never really bother to change so it kept on happening.

 

 

Either way, it’s a better way to spend his days than simply wasting away on a sofa.

 

 

The walk to their usual dog park was usually pretty short, but to get to Jack’s apartment, it was almost twice the distance. The more he walk, gone was his mostly derelict area, and he would enter the much more inhabitable streets, where people opening shops or going by their business seems to deem him familiar enough to wave and greet at, and the more he walk, the more the faces become familiar. 

 

 

Mei was up and about already in front of her store, her cat, little Snowball walking close to her leg. Next to her was her massive brick shithouse of a roommate, Zarya, a Russian local gym trainer who apparently often helped her open her store. They both waved at him from across the street.

 

 

Lucio’s father, an owner of a moderately successful recording studio was on his phone, talking and giving orders to an employee from his phone, but gave him a small wave and an apologetic smile as he passed and entered his car. Bastion, who turns out to be the Bastion Omnica he did remember from his military days stopped him for a moment to pet Jesse, who happily lapped at the attention. 

 

 

When he entered Jack’s apartment building at last, it was close to 9.30, and he waved lazily at Jamison and Mako, the two maintenance operator-slash-janitor-slash-receptionist for the building. They paused their banter to greet him, before continuing to loudly debate - Jamison did, at least, Mako was mumbling and shaking his head - about which tea flavor makes a better bobba tea, fruits or leaves, all the while hammering down on what seems to be a series of pipes. Gabriel rolled his eyes, and again when Jesse barks on top of the stairs he has yet to climb as if scolding him for being too slow.

 

 

It was on those stairs when he stopped, looked up when he heard another set of footsteps and found himself face to face with a man he had never seen before. Huh, he actually thought he knew everyone in the neighbourhood by now.

 

 

The man was tall, maybe a little taller than Gabriel himself, his head bald and there are 9 marks tattooed neatly on his forehead, presumably a religious mark of sorts. He held himself elegantly as he walked, and the little cat he held in his hand just completed the looks, “Oh?” he said, and even his voice held power behind him, even if he looked like someone Gabriel could snap into two without much effort, “And who might you be? I have never seen you before,”

 

 

The kitten in his arm looked just as elegant as he is, and it gave Jesse an interested gaze, when his mutt cocked his head inquisitively and tried to sniff the newcomer’s calf. The man bowed down to pet Jesse’s hand without a slight hesitation, unlike most people did when they met a dog as big as Jesse, “This Rottweiler— Ah, i see, you must be Mr. Morrison’s acquaintance, yes?”

 

 

“Yeah, i’m here to see him,” Gabriel told him, before giving the man a quick nod, “Gabriel Reyes,”

 

 

The man put a hand on his chest and bowed deeply, “Mondatta Tekhartha,” he introduced himself, “I’m the landlord and the owner of this building. And this,” he smiled, running his hand through his kitten’s short fur. The feline lost interest to Jesse and purred, “Is my dear friend Zenyatta. Named after my beloved brother who— well, sadly, he is no longer with us,”

 

 

Gabriel thought it’s a bit weird to name a pet after a dead relative, especially your own brother. He also thought that its weird that he’s standing here, listening to a guy’s life story when according to his internal clock, he should’ve arrived at Jack’s door exactly 7 minutes ago, “My condolences,”

 

 

“You are very kind, Mr. Reyes,” the man, Mondatta smiled. He then walked, and just when Gabriel thought he was leaving, he stopped right in front of him, eyeing him with the sort of scrutiny Gabriel wasn’t used to. He leaned close, almost nose to nose with the ex-commander, and hummed, “Yes, interesting, i can see it quite clearly,”

 

 

Back in the spec ops, Gabriel would’ve socked the guy who dared to disrespect his personal space. Right now, he tried to hold his ground, and balled both of his fist into his pocket to prevent himself from doing anything he might regret, “Eh, you mind stepping back a bit—“

 

 

“I sense deep turmoil in you, Mr. Reyes,” the man cuts off, as if Gabriel didn’t say anything to him, “Indeed, i have seen many men, all who had their own wounds and scars, but you, Mr. Reyes, you are still bleeding, quite freshly even,”

 

 

Gabriel opened his mouth, but nothing came. What do you even say to that? “Wha—“

 

 

“You are strong, you have been gifted with great strength since your birth, and it has been forged repeatedly with the burning fire life has given you. You are strong, near invincible and indeed, you also believe yourself unbreakable. You let the little wound fester, just as you have kept your other wound left untreated, because you do not see the point,” Mondatta shakes his head, “because you believe yourself as an undefeated, an island,”

 

 

“Look, buddy—“

 

 

“But you are no island, Mr. Reyes. And even an island is no match to the raging sea and storm. Eventually it will drown, never to be seen again,”

 

 

He put a hand on Gabriel’s shoulder, and all of the training on Gabriel’s body kicked in. The instinct to fight, the boiling blood in his veins that scream how he hated this contact and this distance, and the trained cursory observation in him that told him Mondatta lack the power he had, despite his height, and Gabriel could take him, right there, right now. Yet despite the drumming tension in his chest, he never looked away from the man’s disturbingly dark irises, staring deeply into his own.

 

 

And then, he smiled, “However, i can see i do not need to worry,” he patted Gabriel’s shoulder, “Indeed, perhaps it is not too late,”

 

 

Mondatta took his hand away and clasped it with his other hand, before bowing once more and walked pass him in the narrow flight of stairs. Gabriel was still staring at the spot where he was, trying to digest what had happened, when the man called again, “Oh, and Mr. Reyes?”

 

 

Gabriel turned. He stared at the back of the man’s bald head, seeing smooth skin with not a trace of growing hair. On his shoulder, Zenyatta had draped himself, and stared at him with two large, unblinking feline eyes. Mondatta didn’t turn, but there is something in his voice, on how it is lower an octave or two from before that made him pay attention, “Yeah?”

 

 

“Did you know that sometimes, the sweetest, and the brightest of smiles could hide something deeper?” he turned slightly, so that Gabriel could make out his side profile, and there is something in his smile now, something indiscernible even to Gabriel, who had always pride himself to be able to tell what another is thinking simply by body language. It’s almost unsettling, “Something, like a cry for help, perhaps?”

 

 

He walked away, never giving Gabriel a chance to answer. When the man was out of sight, Gabriel acknowledge the nudge on his knee with a absent pet on Jesse’s furry head, “What the fuck was that all about, _chico_?”

 

 

Jesse whined, probably to tell him he had no clue either.

 

 

* * *

 

 

“So, uh, i met your landlord today,”

 

 

Jack looked up from the plate he was washing to Gabriel, who sat on the dining table nibbling the rest of Bastion’s cookies. It was macadamia nuts cookies this week, “Oh, you met Mondatta?”

 

 

“Yeah,” he replied around a mouthful of crumbs, “He’s ah, an interesting character,”

 

 

The white-haired man laughed, wiping the latest plate with a rag before putting it on the drying station. He then moved to the next dish, the coffee stained cup, “He’s a great guy, great landlord too. I sometimes took care of his kitten, Zenyatta, when he's away on business and he sometimes lowers my rent for the month to make up for it," he chuckled shyly, as he added, "but i guess he can be a bit— eccentric,”

 

 

Gabriel snorted, “That’s one way to put it,”

 

 

On the floor behind him, Jesse was playing a little tug of war with one of Hanzo’s blue dragon doll with Genji. Well, Jesse probably take it as a playing, Genji’s little rumbling and growling told him that the puppy took it as a declaration of war. The owner of said doll was sitting not a feet away from where Gabriel sat, curling around the other blue doll with the look Gabriel will now officially describe as exasperation, because there is no way that look is anything else, human or not. 

 

 

As if sensing Gabriel’s eyes, the grey-white dog looked up and met Gabriel’s gaze. And again, promptly huffed and look away.

 

 

The veteran glared at the back of the dog’s head, “Bitch,”

 

 

“Did you say something?”

 

 

“Nope. You must be hearing things,” 

 

 

* * *

 

 

The day had gone like it always did for the last few weeks; park, lunch somewhere, some errands Jack wanted to do and Gabriel didn’t mind following to, dinner at either a restaurant or Jack’s place - who true to his words can barely bake, but the man is a legend with meat based dish, which is coincidentally are Gabriel’s favorite - before going home to watch soap opera. It was just another routine to fall to, but it was a lot busier, and certainly beats waking up, watch TV until its sun down with occasionally feeding Jesse before falling asleep again.

 

 

The day had gone like how it always did, at least until halfway during their park walk when the already cloudy sky started turning grey and began to pour down.

 

 

“I forgot to check the weather forecast!” Jack shouted as they try to get to some sort of a shelter soon, his coat flared on top of his head to protect him from the incoming downpour, “But it looked so sunny this morning i didn’t think it would rain this hard!”

 

 

Gabriel wanted to reply, but instead, he pulled Jack to the closest place he can find: a semi-crowded store with a verandah on the front. His hoodie was damp all over, and Jack, despite his extra protection was no better. The canines were even worse off, rainwater drenching their fur. Jesse was the first to shake the extra moisture off from himself, and only ended up spraying the rest of them, “Ey! Hijo de puta, Jesse!”

 

 

“What’s going on here?”

 

 

Gabriel turned to the source of the new voice, and for a brief moment was confused when there was no one on his line of sight. Then he looked down at the sound of a cleared throat, and found what has got to be the shortest and angriest dwarf he had ever seen in his life, “What’s the big idea?” the dwarf fumed, “i know this is an animal friendly neighbourhood, but that doesn’t mean i’ll just let you people—”

 

 

“Torbjorn?”

 

 

Both Gabriel and the angry dwarf turned at the same time to Jack, who was now wringing water out of his coat. He looked perplexed, his eyes completely focused on the man who shouted at them, “Torbjorn Lindholm, is that you?”

 

 

The angry frown at the dwarf’s face disappeared, and it was quickly replaced with nothing but pure joy, “My eyes must be deceiving me! Jack Morrison!”

 

 

After another set of enthusiastic greeting, he dw— Torbjorn ushered them in, even pull them to one of the few empty booths before he sat right next to Jack. He didn’t even raise an objection when the dogs followed them in. He took Jack’s hand in his two surprisingly large and meaty ones, shaking it for all its worth, “This is a good day! This is a good day indeed! Jack Morrison, stepping into my pride and joy,”

 

 

Jack’s laughed as he looked around, “Wow, this place is yours?”

 

 

“Yes!” Torbjorn proudly exclaimed, and motioned to the entirety of what Gabriel could see now is a sort of a modest buffet restaurant. People are crowding the 4 separate cuisine bars, each of them with large signs hanging from the ceiling detailing the types of food found in each bar. Servers flitted once in a while, refilling empty dishes and taking in special request and the likes, “My own little Smörgåsbord in a little town, everything a man could want in his retirement,”

 

 

“You’re retired? I never thought i’d see the day,” the white-haired man chuckled, “I thought you once said that the only thing stopping you from coming to work was death itself,”

 

 

The jovial look was gone, and Gabriel was almost surprise at the amount of expressions the man go through for the last 5 minutes. Now, he looked like the dwarf shouting at them on the verandah earlier, “Hmph. I still have great passion in what i used to do, don’t get me wrong. But if that passion means i have to keep on working with bureaucratic, traitorous, black sheep making, cocksuc—“

 

 

“Language. And remember your blood pressure,”

 

 

“—the point i’m making, is that, i’d rather eat hot coal and drink molten lava than continuing to work for the people who dared to sully the name of my good friend to save their own hides!”

 

 

Gabriel carefully watched between an indignant Torbjorn and Jack. Jack was wringing his hand, the back of his knuckle made white just by the pressure of it, and he seems to be hiding his face from who Gabriel can now safely surmise as his old friend. He swallowed visibly, although Torbjorn was too busy simmering in his own rage to notice, “That’s— that’s not what happened, Torbjorn,”

 

 

“Ha!” the short man exclaimed, earning himself some inquisitive looks from several tables around them, “I know damn sure that it is! And i’m not the only one, Jack! Liao, Al-Farouk, Singh, Lacroix, both Gerard and Amelie, hell, even Adawe was on your side!”

 

 

Jack’s eyes widened behind his glasses and it disappeared as quick as it appear, “Gabrielle?”

 

 

“Well, she didn’t outright say it, but we know she disagreed with the final ruling, even if her hands are tied,” the short man harrumphed, shaking his head, “That was then we knew we can’t trust the people who said they had our back. I was the first one to fuck off, and i would’ve done it sooner if the higher ups hadn’t been hiding it from us. Al-Farouk was with me when i resigned, and i know from the grapevine that Liao was fired because he was openly against the higher up. Doesn’t matter, we’re all happier for it,”

 

 

“Torbjorn, i—,” Jack bowed his head down, almost slumped on the table, “you shouldn’t have—“

 

 

“Pah! It’s called solidarity, Jack! You stick up for us, and we stick up for you till the end,” he was about to continue, when one of the servers walked over to their table and speak in low whispers. Torbjorn frown, and began to speak in a language that Gabriel could only presume was of baltic origin, if the man’s name was any indicator. He ignored the two and focused on Jack, who was now biting his lower lips in addition of still wringing his arm.

 

 

Jack looks downright miserable.

 

 

“Sorry, but i gotta go,” Torbjorn told them when as the server walk away, “Some problem at the kitchen. Pah, these kids needs help with everything. In the mean time, order anything you like, you and uh— Your buddy here,” he pointed at Gabriel, “It’s on the house for my good buddy, Jack! Wait until i call Liao and tell him later,” he loudly exclaimed, before walking off to the direction Gabriel will assume is the kitchen.

 

 

Left to their own devices, it was as if the energy was gone along with the short man. Jack sighed shakily, his hand still clasped so tight it’s turning an unhealthy shade of red. Underneath the table, Gabriel could hear Hanzo’s pitiful whines, and when Jack released one hand to reach underneath the table, he had a speck of idea as to where the dog went.

 

 

“That was uh,” Jack chuckled, but it sound forced more than anything, “Heh, that was a blast to the past,”

 

 

And he didn’t mean it in a fun nostalgic way, no. Gabriel didn’t need years worth of special training to know that. He crossed his arms and leaned against the booth’s backrest, “Yeah, i bet,”

 

 

Jack gulped, and his arm’s movement stilled almost gradually. Hanzo whined again, but this time, he didn’t seem to notice. He was looking at Gabriel, his eyes shaded behind the ridiculous red tinted glasses, as if he was expecting something. 

 

 

Gabriel had an inkling he knew what Jack was waiting for.

 

 

And as someone who had too many skeleton in closets he never even wanted to admit existed in the first place, Gabriel knew first hand what that feels like.

 

 

So he sidestepped away from Jesse, who had been trying to get under the table as well until his bulk stopped him and took off his damp beanie to throw it down on the booths’ table before standing up, “Well, you heard what he said. And it’s almost lunch time, so might as well,” 

 

 

He knew that that was not what Jack had been expecting, because he blinked, several times even, mouth agape like he couldn’t believe what Gabriel had just said. He looked surprised, relieved even, and he wondered if too many people had asked too many question, and if Gabriel had been the first person to give him an option to steer away completely. Maybe. God knows nobody ever did that for him, especially no one who knew.

 

 

No, that’s not right. Jack gave him that freedom too. Has been since the first time they met.

 

 

Maybe he’s just finding his sense of gratitude this late in his life.

 

 

Gabriel ran his hand through his greying curls, shrugging, “I mean, it’s still raining pretty heavily. And it’s free lunch,”

 

 

The nervousness was yet to go away from Jack’s eyes, but he smiled a little, and at the moment, that’s good enough for Gabriel.

 

 

* * *

 

 

In the end, they really had it. Free lunch that is. And it was amazing.

 

 

Although, something tells Gabriel that no matter how amazing the food had been, he won’t find Jack offering to go back all that often.

 

 

After making sure that the rain stops, they left with another chat with Torbjorn, who asked Jack to visit soon, and told him that some of the people he had mentioned earlier comes around sometimes so Jack better come in often. Jack had politely agreed, but Gabriel could see how he tightened his grip on Hanzo’s leash at the suggestion, and when they eventually left, he was silent for 15 minutes straight.

 

 

As if sensing Jack’s mood, Hanzo had been too busy trying to get his attention, bumping to his leg and purposefully walking around Jack whole staring at the man’s face. This sends a reaction to Jesse, who tried his best to get Hanzo’s attention back to him, but only succeeding in accidentally stepping on Genji, and sent the little dog to a fit of indignant barking and growling. Gabriel was forced to be their buffer, and to be honest it was more embarrassing to get the attention of everyone in the streets especially when you’re pretty sure that by now, you know at least 3/4 of them.

 

 

Through all of this, Jack was silent, his thoughts seemingly faraway.

 

They were walking aimlessly, passing the same stores, even crossing the same crossings. He even caught an old woman looking at them oddly the second time they passed the same house twice, but Jack hadn’t said a word, and really, usually whatever plan they had for the day came from him while Gabriel was all too happy to follow him. 

 

 

Gabriel sighed, grunting as he tightened his hold on a squirming Genji. They had arrived in the same crossroad they had crossed 2 times, soon to be three, waiting among a few side walkers for the crossing light to turn green, and most of them were watching the two of them. Literally, all of them. There’s him, holding on to a small irritable puppy trying and failing to reach for the large dog that’s trying and failing to attract a slightly smaller dog too preoccupied trying to cheer another human to notice. They’re like a damn walking circus.

 

 

Not even trying to intimidate Genji by growling works. Damn, back in the day, his men were downright terrified by his growls. Giving up, he simply tightened his hold, and watched Jack from the side.

 

 

He could ask, he could even mention he’s tired from catching Genji and stopping him from physically assaulting a dog near 3 times his size, but he didn’t. Jack look so troubled, so out of there, and damn, he didn’t know what to do.

 

 

The light turns green. 

 

 

He crossed the street, preoccupied with his own thoughts and trying to keep a still hold on Genji that he barely noticed that his companion was no longer next to him. 

 

 

What did he usually do anyway? Anytime one of his subordinate is clearly daydreaming - a very rare occurrence the longer they have been under his command - he order a 5 set of pushup, or, if he’s particularly irate, he’d take out Reaper and shoot the _pendejo_ somewhere close enough to make him piss his pants. Even if those are an option, he won’t do that to Jack, but at the same time, now he’s out of idea of what to do.

 

 

Comforting someone is not even something he’d consider doing. You need someone to get a job well done, you get Gabriel Reyes. You need to 

motivate someone in a positive and healthy way, you stay away from him as far as you can.

 

 

He wished Ana or Reinhardt are here right now. They’d make fun of him till the end of time, but at least he’ll know what to do.

 

 

The veteran was so preoccupied by his own thoughts, that he barely noticed that Genji managed to wiggle out of his hold, and the moment, he did, the small puppy was down on the ground, dashing to where the target of his aggression was. Still right across the street, right where Hanzo and, more importantly, Jack was. And he was crossing the street, almost reaching the middle of the road.

 

 

Meanwhile, the pedestrian’s red light was already blinking, a sign that it was too late to cross, and there is a car running down the road, obviously expecting that the soon to be green light means there won’t be anyone in their right mind in the middle of the road because they were not slowing down, and soon, soon they’d reach the crossing.

 

 

His stomach would’ve dropped down if it could, but even if it did, Gabriel was too busy letting his rational mind shut down and let his instinct and reflex come to play.

 

 

With the speed and power of a man half, even a quarter of his age, he dashed the moderately spacious street, ignoring the leg muscles and old injuries screaming against the sudden exertion as he snatched Jack off from the road and pull him back to the sidewalk where they came from. He registered people’s panicked screaming, both near and far, and he heard the sound of screeching car tire somewhere behind him, all of them almost happening at once, as he fall down on the cement walk on his back, a body following right after and knocking most of the breath out of his lungs.

 

 

The back of his head is pounding, so he probably hit the ground harder than he thought, and his legs are protesting with every move he made. At least the weight on top of his body was quick to remove itself, and before long, Gabriel felt a hand pushing him upward, helping him to a sitting position, “—be, Gabe! Are you alright?! Please, say something!”

 

 

Now there’s a deja vu, right there, “Stop shouting, Jack, i can hear you just fine,”

 

 

He looked up to see Jack, staring down at him with deep concern, and all around them were horrified people that seems to relax visibly at his answer. Behind jack, he could see Jesse putting down something white and shivering on the ground that was soon approached and prodded by Hanzo, and based on the little whimpers, it wasn’t hard to deduce what that things was. The dark skinned man huffed in relief and silently thanked Jesse, because he might be mighty annoyed with the little noise machine, but he won’t be able to forgive himself if he inadvertently caused another living being to loose its life. 

 

 

He had enough of that for a lifetime.

 

 

Jack pulled his lips to a thin line, and Gabriel was about to pull himself up when the car - he had almost forgot that this was all because of that car - parked to the side and the driver walked out from the vehicle. He was a young man with slicked back hair and the appearance of a professional, some newfangled device attached on his ear and a stormy expression on his face.

 

 

Gabriel masked his pained grimace to a sneer when the man approached them, “Watch where you’re going, man! I could’ve hit you!”

 

 

Despite not being the one addressed, Gabriel stood up - and forcing another searing pain up his ankle and calf - as he stride over to the man, blocking any access to Jack, “How ‘bout you watch where you’re fucking driving?” he tried to approach even further, when Jack’s hand began to slither around his arm and held him back, “Who the hell drives that fast near a crossing?” 

 

 

The man looked indignant as he approach even closer, “I was late for a meeting! You should be glad i hadn’t hit him,”

 

 

“If you had hit him, you can be damn sure that you’ll be even later once i’m fucking done with you, _cabron_ ,”

 

 

“Gabriel!”

 

 

“Maybe your friend there should start looking at where he’s going, then! Why are you blaming me for, old man?”

 

 

Gabriel growled, and the satisfaction rolled off his spine in waves when he saw the obvious scare that gave the man. He shot his arm and grabbed the driver by the collar, earning himself gasp from the onlookers and a shout from Jack, “I might be an old man, but i’ve been eating punks like you for breakfast since before your parents starts bumping uglies, you disrespectful little—“

 

 

“Gabe, that’s enough!” His hand was held and pulled by one almost as big as his, and the driver stumbled before backing away. In front of him, Jack’s hand was holding his wrist, pale white contrasting his dark tanned skin, in a strong grip. It was weak compared to anything else that ever held him, but the look Jack gave him, a cross of reprimanding and scolding made him stop, and he didn’t protest as much as only clicking his tongue in annoyance. Jack looks away, and addressed the driver, “You’re right, it was my fault, i’m so sorry i wasn’t looking, it won’t happen again, sir,”

 

 

What the fuck you’re calling a little punk _sir_ for, Gabriel wanted to ask, but he held his tongue, as the obviously shaken man looked from him to Jack, mumbled something out before returning to his car. Once he began to drive away, he pulled his hand away from Jack and shoved both of them down his pocket before walking away.

 

 

He didn’t have to turn to know that Jack is following him, and true enough, he heard footsteps approaching, followed by the other man calling his name, “What did you do that for? I was the one who was at wrong,”

 

 

“Yeah, you fucking are,” he skidded and turn in a fluid, trained motion, halting Jack to a halting stop behind him, “It was fucking stupid for you not to concentrate on where you’re going in the first place, don’t think i don’t agree with that just because i don’t want to see some upstart trying to talk down to you,” 

 

 

That seems to chastise Jack enough. He looked down, lips pressed thin, and he looked like every inch of a school boy found guilty of pranks from his headmaster, and for a moment, Gabriel could actually picture that little blonde boy that at times would appear in his imagination doing the same thing as Jack did. It mollified him a little, and he sighed, rubbing the top of his beanie.

 

 

“Look,” he began, and noted with a degree of amusement how Jack looked up slightly, further perfecting the chastised school boy look despite being nearly 60 years old, “I would’ve feigned ignorance and say i don’t know what’s bothering you, and i know some people will probably tell me that’s a polite and nice thing to do, but i’m not polite, and i’m not nice. I know you’re bothered about— whatever had been brought up earlier by Torbjorn,”

 

 

At the mention of the short man, Jack winced, and Gabriel know he’s right on the money, “I’m not saying you’re wrong to be worried, or— i don’t know, whatever was going on in your mind then, but fuck’s sake, Jack, there’s time and place,” finally, Gabriel put his hand down from the top of his beanie. Jack was biting his lower lips now, in addition to pressing lips so thinly the usually peach-coloured lips turns white. He sighed, “If that guy had hit you, i would’ve beat him into a pulp, and you’ll be responsible for me going to jail or being sued by a goddamn yuppie of all people. 

 

 

Despite himself, Jack stopped chewing on his lips and a small smile bloomed. Gabriel didn’t know what prompted that, but he’ll take it. He peeked at the dogs, now neatly lined behind Jack staring up at him; Jesse with his usual dumb happy expression, only this time around, he had an addition of a white furred hat that neither bit his ear or tries to claw his eyes off, but looking rather dejected for some reason. Hanzo bumps against Jack’s leg, eyes never leaving the spot where Jesse and Genji were.

 

 

He took in the sight of the three dogs, to Jack, and lastly, to the sky. The sun’s beginning to set, it’ll probably be even later when they get back to Jack’s place.

 

 

Gabriel gave them all another cursory glance, “Let’s go back,”

 

 

* * *

 

 

The walk back to Jack’s place was as quiet as it was after they left Torbjorn’s, but the tenseness was gone, and the silence amicable, even enjoyable. Jesse was having fun leaping and bouncing, especially in front of Hanzo, Genji still tightly holding on to the top of his head. The little puppy yips every now and then, probably in annoyance, but it doesn’t seem like he’s willing to let go from Jesse’s head any time soon.

 

 

And to think that all it takes was a near fatal accident. 

 

 

Probably sensing that Jack no longer needed cheering up, Hanzo was now busy following Jesse’s every footstep, tail tensing every time it looks like Genji was about to fall from Jesse’s head, and Gabriel caught a happy tail wag or two whenever Jesse again tries to play with Genji by either shaking his body or tilting his head up to try and poke the smaller dog by the nose. 

 

 

Of course, Hanzo saw him, and after a long staring match, huffed and looked away, wagging tail standing up high as if mocking him or something. Gabriel’s almost smile turn to a scowl. Seriously, what is the bitch’s problem?

 

 

When they reach Jack’s apartment, true to Gabriel’s prediction, it was late at night, and they dropped Genji off to the Santos family. Lucio had been a little confused as to why Genji was reluctant to let go of Jesse’s head, but eventually decided it didn’t really matter when Genji happily returned to his arms. Jack looked extremely guilty, nonetheless. 

 

 

When they stood in front of Jack’s door, Gabriel stopped him, “I’m not going to ask anything you’re not willing to answer,” he watched as Jack pressed his lips to a thin line and try to avert his gaze, but he’s not having it, “I’m a guy who had been an operative in some of the dirtiest missions the country could offer, and believe me, i’ve seen shit and i’ve done shit i’d kill the next guy who ask me about it. I know what it’s like,”

 

 

Jack frowned, before shaking his head, “It’s not the same,”

 

 

“Maybe not completely. But i got shit i don’t want to think or even acknowledge ever happen, and you had past events you obviously never got over. For all i care it’s the same difference, that we both got rotting corpses in our closets, and i understand that. I also understand that no one can deal with all of that on their own,” 

 

 

If Ana was here, she’ll be laughing her ass off, because oh, Gabriel Reyes, you big damn hypocrite. And he knows, he even knows how hypocritical it is for him to say all of those things when he had issues he’s not willing to admit or listen to anyone who tries to help him with it, oh _madre di dios_ he knows. 

 

 

But that’s all because he’s Gabriel Reyes. He knows from his first covert op mission that he won’t come back the same man, he won’t be back to that mischievous kid in the neighbourhood who likes to pull pranks on the older bullies while sometimes saving candies he stole from the convenience store for the younger kids who had been shooed out of their home while mommy and daddy are fighting. He knows he’s too deeply broken, and even if someone managed to fix him like Ana claimed, there will still be holes and tears on him, a clear sign that he’s not going to go back to that whole person he once was.

 

 

His back told him that, his aching limbs told him that, and the never ending nightmares and flashes of memories told him that.

 

 

And he had long since accepted, even embraced that part of him. No matter how reluctantly.

 

 

Jack, though, Jack is not like that. Jack can still smile, Jack can still make people respect and love him, as evident around the neighbourhood, and Jack still has the will to make someone, even dogs to have a chance for a better life. Jack, who is loving to animals, who is caring to children and is known by everyone around the area.

 

 

Gabriel Reyes had done so many bad things in his life, so many things he could never afford to atone for. But if he was allowed to live this long because there’s still something for him, then let that be this.

 

 

Let him do this one good thing before he’s kicked off for good.

 

 

The dark skinned man stepped closer, and took Jack’s wrist the same way Jack had held his earlier. Tanned skin against pale, Jack’s pure white to his salt-pepper underneath the ever present black beanie, such a deep contrast, but in the end, maybe the men themselves weren’t all that contrasting after all, “I won’t say or ask anything, because i know what that’s like. But because of the same reason, if you ever wanted to talk about it, if you ever think that it’s becoming too much, i’ll listen,” with his other hand, he lifted Jack’s chin with the flat of his pointer, and saw the swimming blue ocean that is Jack’s irises, behind his glasses, “And you know you can trust me, because when i listen, i understand,”

 

 

He didn’t get a reply, and honestly, Gabriel wasn’t expecting one. He let the offer hang in the air, a decision that he’d leave to Jack’s hand as he dropped his hands and patted Jesse on the head, a sign to follow him. The dog whined softly, and he watched the Rottweiler giving one last forlorn look to Hanzo, before following him, “See you tomorrow,” he throws out as he walk away.

 

 

“Gabe!”

 

 

He never managed to turn all the way when a pair of arms was wrapped around his chest, and a head was buried to his shoulder. His arm twitched at the sudden assault, but it quickly calmed down when he heard a murmured ‘thank you’ against his clothed back. Unsure of what to do, he reached Jack’s intertwined hand on his chest, patting them gently, “R-right,” he stammered, and he must’ve heard himself wrong because he never stuttered.

 

 

Jack eventually released him, and when Gabriel caught the sight of his face, his smile was blinding, brighter than even the first time they had met. He was awestruck. He did that. His words, no matter how hypocritical, had done that.

 

 

For the first time in decades, Gabriel Reyes is proud of himself.

 

 

“You’re wrong, by they way,” Jack said suddenly, still smiling, “Earlier, when you said you’re not nice, i’ve never heard something so wrong in my life before,” he stepped closer and pull Gabriel into another hug, one that this time Gabriel had the capability and reflex to return, albeit awkwardly, “Gabriel Reyes, you’re the nicest man i’ve ever met in my entire life,”

 

 

* * *

 

 

When both Jesse and him was out on the streets, they were stopped by the the sound of muffled barking, one that made Jesse stop in his tracks and started to frantically look around. Gabriel did the same, before spotting the source on the second floor of the building, where Hanzo had somehow climbed up and reached the window, pawing on the glass while barking down to where they are.

 

 

Not a moment later, Jack appeared right next to the white-grey dog, pulling the window latch open and Hanzo’s barks could be heard loud and clear from where they stood. Jesse happily jumps and replied in his own incessant barking, but Gabriel was too fixed on Jack, who had leaned on the window next to Hanzo while smiling down at him.

 

 

It didn’t even register to Gabriel that he had a smile just as large, if not larger on his face until Jack laughed, a sound so sweet and he wished he was back up there so he could hear it up close, “I’ll see you tomorrow, Gabe!” he shouted, childishly cupping his mouth with both of his palms as if they’re teenagers again who are not afraid of being caught by their parents for sneaking out. Then he smiled wider, and his cheek is starting to hurt from the strain and gave the white-haired man a thumbs up. 

 

 

When Hanzo finally stopped barking and went inside, Jack closed the window, but not without one last wave at him and Jesse. Gabriel looked down to his canine companion, who had the biggest shit eating grin on his face, tongue lolled out and tail wagging so fast he could probably create a new energy source just from the motion. The human of the pair scoffed playfully, rubbing Jesse’s head, “What the hell around you looking so happy about, _tonto_? Look at you two, barking up from a window and shit, this is not fucking Romeo and Juliet,”

 

 

Jesse wriggled and yipped, even bouncing slightly to bump against his palm. They play this little game of bump and ruffling all the way home, laughing and barking melding to one.

 

 

* * *

 

 

“Guess what?”

 

 

“What?”

 

 

“Jesse’s little crush is finally starting to warm up to him,”

 

 

Their topic of conversation is now playing with a chewing bone next to him, licking and biting at the fake bone with so much intensity. Gabriel patted his head as Ana laughed, “Really now? And how long has it been now?”

 

 

“Nearly a month. What can i say, my boy is really, really persistent, no one can resist. Ain’t that right, chico?”

 

 

Jesse jumps over to his lap and nuzzled his chin, barking to the phone as if to join in with the conversation. Ana laughed, loud enough for the two of them to hear, “Congratulations, Jesse!” she cooed, while Gabriel pressed the loudspeaker function to allow her voice to be heard by the addressed party. The dog barks to the phone, probably too closely, and he licked the receiver. Gabriel shouts indignantly and wipes off dog slobber off from his phone, all the while listening to Ana laughing even harder. He distinctively heard Reinhardt asking what’s so funny in on the background, to which Ana replied.

 

 

“And what about Gabe?” he heard the large german man asked when his phone was clean enough and he had it against his ears again, “What about his own crush?”

 

 

“The hell is he talking about—“

 

 

“Shh, Reinhardt,” Ana chuckled, cutting him off, “Let the man figure it out on his own pace. You know how his brain works sometimes,”

 

 

“The fuck you saying about my brain, woman—“

 

 

‘Oh, ignore us, Gabe, we’re just a couple of old people a little too invested in people’s life and gossips to fill our empty time,” he grumbled at the obvious mocking tone Ana gave, and even more when he heard Reinhardt’s boisterous laughter on the background, “Now tell me, how about yourself? You’ve been talking about Jesse the whole day i haven’t heard a peep about you. How’s Jack?”

 

 

Gabriel rolled his eyes. She’s always asking about Jack these days, and while he didn’t mind telling her about it, he hated how smug she sounded at the end of each conversation, as if she know something he doesn’t. Whatever, “He’s alright. Met an old friend, and well, some of those weren’t exactly my story to tell. Not that i even have a story tell, but i wasn’t going to ask. Not gonna stick my nose where it’s obviously not wanted, not when i’m no longer being paid to do that,”

 

 

The egyptian woman hummed, and told him to continue. Gabriel changed the channel on the TV when commercial came, but comes up with nothing good on other channels, “Told him he’s free to talk to me about it. I don’t know what i was trying to pull there, but he seems happy enough when i told him that, so i don’t know i’m probably doing something right,”

 

 

“Hmm, did you now?”

 

 

The latino man frowned, but ignored it. Ana’s always like that, he figured by now that asking what she’s thinking is as difficult as telling Jesse he needs to go on a diet. He’s not even going to bother with the obviously explosive result, “Yeah. Figured it was a decent thing to do,” his finger stopped pressing the remote button, as a thought flitted into his mind, “Hey, Ana,”

 

 

“Yes, Gabe?”

 

 

“You think— Do you think i’m a nice guy?”

 

 

The other line was silent as silent can be. He felt incredibly foolish for asking all of the sudden, and was about to tell her to forget it when Ana spoke, “Honestly, yes,” Gabriel’s mouth hangs open, “You don’t show it often, and your face definitely doesn’t show it, but deep down, should one take the time and effort to actually know you, then yeah. You can be a nice person, Gabe,”

 

 

This time, he was the silent one.

 

 

“Gabe? What brought that on? I gotta admit, that’s the last question i’d expect to hear from Commander I-am-not-nice Reyes,”

 

 

“Yeah, well,” he shrugged, running a hand through his curly hair, “Just something that come up today, i guess,”

 

 

Ana hummed. Gabriel left her to her own thoughts, as he was too wrapped on his own. 

 

 

“Hey, Ana,”

 

 

“Yes, Gabe?”

 

 

A smile bloomed again on the man’s face. Next to him, Jesse had fallen asleep, his tongue lolling out and there’s a smile blooming on his face from an obviously happy dream, “Did i tell you? Jack calls me Gabe today,”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter will make up for the lack of fluff so far, i prooomise. It;s just that, well, this is the original plot, and i gotta make it fit somehow...
> 
> Also, gotta keep the Genyatta, small as they might be later on, a different species. 's my jam.
> 
> Thanks for reading! :D


	5. Like a Goddamn Soap Opera

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The day started bad and ended with a pretty good note for both dog and human.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Real life is hectic, again, between 2 jobs and a degree to work on. But hey, here i am! Hope you like it!

 

When Gabriel woke up that morning, he could already guess that the rest of the day would be bad.

 

There’s a weight on his left leg, one which he would immediately link to Jesse if the large furry mound next to him doesn’t make itself known at the first pained groan. Then, as he tried to move the offending limb, indescribable pain shot up through the other leg, and he was left panting and slumping down on the bed again. 

 

By this time, Jesse seems to notice something was wrong, and started to give a muffled woof, and sniffed along his left side, “I’m fine, i’m fine,” he mumbled despite the obvious contradictory tone, pushing Jesse’s large head away from his hip and pulled his upper body upward. He managed to sit up, at least, but the pain on his legs had gone dull, and it’s a hell lot more irritating than a straight up shooting pain.

 

The old veteran started to limp toward the bathroom, dragging his left leg and gritting his teeth at the pain every step caused. It’s been a long while since his legs act up like this, he’s rather ashamed to acknowledge that he wasn’t actually prepared to deal with this sort of pain.

 

Must be the sprint he did yesterday, while trying to save Jack. They hadn’t been forced to work that hard in a long time after all.

 

The ibuprofen in his bathroom was a lifesaver, even if he had to down 4 of them first to get any sort of effect, but after 10 minutes of hissing in pain on the toilet seat, he managed to stand up with little to no resistance. Gabriel continued on with his daily activity - shower, breakfast, tv reruns - and before he know it he was throwing away Ana’s collar from Jesse’s mouth - much to the mutt’s disappointment - and pulling him outside simply by mentioning Hanzo’s name.

 

“Morning!”

 

“Hnn,”

 

“Morning, Mr. Reyes!”

 

“Yeah, mornin’,”

 

“Hey Mr. Reyes! Hey Jesse!”

 

“Hey,”

 

By the time he was halfway to Jack’s apartment, Gabriel was starting to regret getting out of bed at all. Moving his leg was a chore on its own, despite the painkiller in his system, and his body felt sluggish as a result. Even Jesse had to slow down his normally fast pace to accomodate him, once he sees that his owner is quite useless in the walking department this morning.

 

And then, of course, there’s the stairs.

 

When he arrived in the apartment’s lobby, he was already panting, the pain was back on his legs - damn medicine can’t work for shit apparently - and he was left leaning against the door frame to adjust himself. Jesse began to whine and circle his legs, and Gabriel didn’t have enough energy to spare to push him away from crowding his space too much.

 

“G’day— Woah! Mr. Reyes, mate, you don’t look too good. You need help there?”

 

 _Ya think?_ he snarked internally, and groaned externally, “’s my leg,” 

 

Jamison, the one who had spoken poked his head from behind the desk he had been slouching on, “You want me to call Mr. Morrison down?”

 

Gabriel didn’t even have to think about the offer, “Nah, it’ll pass soon,” he told the Australian while massaging his knee and thigh. It lessens the pain for a while, too bad he can’t tell if his motion was actually fixing his muscles and bones or if it’s only a placebo effect on works, “I’ll be up there in a minute,”

 

The door behind the reception door creaked open and out come Mako, a spanner in one hand and what seems to be a handful of bolt in the other. He was covered in soot, from the top of his white-silver hair to the ever present gas mask he wore for some reason, and whatever it is he was about to say to Jamison died down once he caught sight of the grimacing man on the doorway, “What happened?”

 

Gabriel shook his head, “Nothing,”

 

Jamison leaned back against his chair to look at his senior, “I think the bloke pulled a leg muscle there,”

 

The latino glared, “I didn’t pull a muscle,”

 

“How’d you explain that, then?”

 

“It’s,” the oldest of three groaned, when his fingers pressed against a particularly painful spot. Jesse whined, pawing at his jeans, “It’s just an old wound acting up. Look, it’ll be fine in a moment,”

 

When the two nosy figure didn’t answer, he returned to massaging his thigh and calf. The pain was slowly dissipating with every hard press on the thick muscles, until his fingers accidentally slid across a patch of skin he had avoided, and it caused teeth clenching pain, “Hmph!” surprised, his leg actually buckled underneath him, and Gabriel fell ungracefully almost on top of Jesse. That caused more pain than just on his leg, especially when during his fall, he knocked the side of his head on the wooden frame.

 

Jesse started barking and nudging on the side of his body, but the pain on his leg and hip only gave Gabriel enough power to reply with a low groan.

 

In front of him, both Jamison and Mako stared at the ungraceful heap of a proud man, before looking at each other.

 

“Call Mr. Morrison,”

 

“Already ahead of ya, mate,”

 

 

* * *

 

 

“Gabriel Reyes, i can’t believe you,”

 

The owner of said name was too busy glaring at the couple of grinning - well, Jamison is grinning, it’s hard to tell what sort of facial expression Mako was pulling - busybody who ended up actually calling Jack down to collect him. Worse even, next to them was Winston, who apparently was on his way off to work when he came across his building’s receptionists trying to lift up an exceptionally built 60 years old man and decided to help.

 

Needless to say, Jack had been less than amused.

 

And he was rather open about it too, the way he didn’t even wait for Winston and the receptionist duo to leave before actually starting to scold Gabriel. Once he was seated on Jack’s sofa, Gabriel had been the target of his irate, putting both of his hands on his hips as he berated him like he was one of the neighbourhood children so often left to his care. Jamison’s audible giggling was just rubbing salt on the wound.

 

Finally, after making his point clear - not that Gabriel was really listening to most of the point - Jack turned to the door, “Thank you so much for your help,” he told the three - who somehow still haven’t left even when its clear that they are no longer needed, wasn’t Winston supposed to be heading off to work? Don’t those two have better things to do? - the irritation melting to gratefulness, “I hope it wasn’t much of a bother,”

 

Jamison grinned, “Nah, mate, it’s all good fun,”

 

Mako shook his head.

 

Winston rubbed the back of his head, “I was just passing by anyway,”

 

Gabriel grumbled, turning away from the door, “I’m not a bother,”

 

Jesse wags his tail and lolled his tongue out at Gabriel.

 

Once the three left - not before Gabriel caught Jamison snickering behind Jack’s turned back - Jack closed his door and put his hands on his hips again, glaring at him behind his customary red-tinted glasses. Gabriel grimaced, “I took 4 ibuprofen for it,”

 

“The recommended dosage is 2,”

 

“Yeah, for normal people. That’s how much it would take to actually start having an effect on me,”

 

The answer was obviously not something Jack wanted to hear. He pursed his lips, and Gabriel was about to brace himself for another set of scolding when the white-haired man sighed and sat next to him on the sofa, “You have to take care of yourself, Gabe,” he placed a hand on Gabriel’s lifted calf, where it was supported on top of a stacked throw pillows from the sofa and on the coffee table, “I was so worried when Jamison called and say you had an accident,”

 

“Jamison’s just trying to pull shit for giggles. It wasn’t that bad,” the dark-skinned man replied, eyes following Jack’s hand movement. The pale, lightly scarred appendage was now softly massaging the jeans clad leg, pressing on to the hard muscles, “It just hadn’t happened for a long time, so it caught me off guard, ’s all,”

 

“Why did it happen now?”

 

Gabriel knew the reason, he just didn’t think that telling Jack is a good idea, “Probably from hitting my leg on the table yesterday. It wasn’t this bad this morning,”

 

Jack sighed, and massaged Gabriel’s leg even harder. The motion and pressure was much, much better than it Gabriel’s own attempt of massaging his muscle back to normal, “So you knew your legs hurt from this morning, and yet you still walk the distance from your house to here? Gabe, i would’ve understood if you can’t come today! Heck, i’d even come over to yours to help around for a change!”

 

I know, the veteran thought, looking away from the strong hand trying to coax the pain away from his legs, that’s why i didn’t say anything.

 

Sure, the walk here had been more than painful, but it beats staying in bed. Staying in bed for the day means plenty of time in his hand doing nothing, and doing nothing leads to thinking about unnecessary things. His bedroom had only recently equates to a resting room, no longer a place where he would relive the worst moments on his life in the deepest part of his slumber. Staying in bed means staying in his house, looking at the 4 walls where he had confined himself away from the world for the last 2 years because going outside means seeing what he had missed for the last 40 years and witness first hand that he no longer fit in that world.

 

Staying in bed because he couldn’t beat his leg pain means there is no seeing Jack, Jack who gave him a sense of normalcy and made him feel like a normal person instead of someone who had no place in this wholesome world around him. And even worse, having Jack in his house means showing this normal man his not so normal life, his not so normal world, and the concept alone is frightening. He didn’t even want to think what Jack would think about him when he sees it.

 

So no, this is why Gabriel didn’t say anything.

 

Instead, he said, “I’ll be fine,”

 

Predictably, Jack gave him a disapproving frown, “Well, obviously you’re not if you need 3 people to help you up here,” His frown slowly softened, and for a moment, Gabriel actually felt properly guilty, “No need to keep the tough act going, you know that right? It’s okay to ask for help sometimes,”

 

How could he not when Ana said the same thing over and over? Doesn’t mean he’s going to follow through, “Right,”

 

“I mean it, Gabe. The next time something like this happen, call me. I gave you my house’s phone number for a reason,”

 

And Gabriel gave his first because of the same reason. The table should not be turned like this, “Okay,”

 

“Gabe,”

 

“I said _okay_ , Jack, what else do you want me to say?” 

 

Jack frowned harder, but in the end, he let it go with a sigh, giving the veteran’s leg a pat before standing up. Already, Gabriel’s side felt colder, “Alright, i’ll trust you,” he made his way to the kitchen, away from Gabriel’s line of sight. Jesse had trotted off in the middle of their conversation, but there’s no brainer as to where he went. 

 

That leaves Gabriel punching himself mentally all on his own on Jack’s sofa, the pain in his leg now slowing down to a dull thudding. Useless medication, he probably should check on the expiration date once he got home.

 

He hadn’t meant to be that harsh, but Gabriel had a track record when it comes to dealing with people who wouldn’t back off, and the reply just comes spontaneously. It always bothered him whenever someone showed that much worry, as if they thought he wasn’t able to look after himself. It doesn’t matter if it was his mother, his then CO, or even Ana, he was too used to brushing their worry off that it comes as an automatic reaction when even Jack was concerned. He groaned behind his palm, he only hoped that Jack hadn’t take too much offence. 

 

The next time pitter patter of foot was heard, it belongs to a couple of 4 legged mammal instead of a human, Jesse leading on the front and Hanzo not far away behind him. Jesse laid down on the carpet underneath the sofa, right underneath Gabriel’s elevated leg, while Hanzo took a seat right next to him. The Shikoku gave him a long stare.

 

Annoyed, the veteran raised a brow and growled out, “What?”

 

The dog doesn’t seem deterred. In fact, as expected, the white-grey canine scoffed and immediately look away, no little amount of disdain in those wolf-like features. 

 

“Ey,” the veteran growls out, and placed one large hand on top of the dog’s head, right between the pointy ears. The entirety of his palm actually fits the top of Hanzo’s head, the fur soft under his scarred skin and the skin underneath warm to the touch. Hanzo turned slowly to face him again, and it was nothing but pure disapproval that he saw in the dog’s beady eyes, “Stop that,”

 

Then, the weirdest thing happen; the damn dog actually batted his hand away by slapping a bushy tail on his arm, once, twice and then repeatedly. Each bat made Hanzo’s eyes squint further, like the damn dog is just waiting for him to reach the end of his patience.

 

Gabriel persevere.

 

Then, as if seeing that the tail-batting won’t work, Jack’s damn dog decided to do something else; tail change course, and instead of Gabriel’s arm, it was now targeting his face.

 

Gabriel could feel a vein popping on the top of his head.

 

“Stop that,”

 

Hanzo’s tail bats him across the face.

 

“Stop. That,”

 

That tail bats his face yet again, actually stayed for a while, before said bushy tail impolitely smack him on the cheek.

 

Gabriel glared. Hanzo purred low, almost like a cat instead of a dog, and smack him across the cheek one more time.

 

“You little bitc—“

 

“Gabe?”

 

The tanned hand leaped away from Hanzo’s head as if it was burnt, and almost simultaneously, Hanzo leapt down from the sofa and landed right next to Jesse. The Rottweiler wags his tail happily and nuzzled the side of the Shikoku’s neck, and was met with little to no resistance. Any other time, Gabriel would be happy for his _chico,_ if he wasn’t starting to think he might soon gain an evil in-law. That, and if Jack wasn’t looking at him oddly, one hand balancing a plate and the other a large glass of a cold water, “What were you doing to Hanzo?”

 

He looked down to the dog. Hanzo was too busy trying to - halfheartedly - fend off  Jesse’s affectionate nuzzling, “Just, you know, playing around,”

 

Thankfully, his answer seems to be enough for Jack - cheered him up a little even - and he placed the glass of water on the table right next to Gabriel’s feet, before giving the plate to Gabriel. On the plate was a piece of sandwich split into two triangles, thick layers of vegetable and meat mixture in between them, “I bet you haven’t even eaten anything before taking those medicines, which, in case you’re not aware, is actually bad for you,” he explained once the veteran took the plate off him, “It’s just turkey sandwich, but i hope it’s okay for the time being. I’ll start lunch as well,”

 

Gabriel was inspecting said sandwich - wheat grain bread, sliced turkey, lettuce, swiss cheese and some tomato slices - as he spoke, and he abandoned it in favor of asking, “Lunch? We’re not eating out?”

 

The disapproving look on Jack’s face was back, tossed behind his shoulder as he made his way back to the kitchen, “Gabe, we’re not going out with your legs they way they are now,”

 

“I just said i’m fine!” he flinched when the slight movement shot another wave of pain up to his calf. Jack raised a brow, “Or, you know, it’ll be fine soon. What about walking the dogs out?”

 

“I’m sure Hanzo and Jesse will understand if we skip one day,” and he actually looked at the dogs, as if they would actually answer and agree with him. Seeing a senior citizen treating his canine companions as humans with actual understanding of basic human speech shouldn’t be as adorable as that, but he was, with his purposefully widened eyes and the slight baby talk he used as he addressed the two dogs, “Isn’t that right? Gabe needs his rest, don’t you guys think?”

 

Underneath his leg, Hanzo sniffed and Jesse woofed low. It could mean anything at all in dog speech, but Jack took it as an agreement, the way he look at Gabriel afterwards, as if to say ‘see?’

 

And obviously the pain is going to his brain, because Gabriel found himself playing along, glaring at the two dogs before grumpily munching at one of the turkey sandwiches, “Outvoted by dogs,” he grumbled, but at least Jack laughed at his response, and the sandwich was the best thing he ever tasted. When the other man left, he looked down at the now bitten sandwich, at Jesse and Hanzo, lazing against each other on the carpet, and sighed.

 

Maybe being confined inside wouldn’t be so bad if it’s in someone else’s house.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Jack Morrison took care taking very seriously, apparently, the way he absolutely refused to let Gabriel step away from the sofa and was on his side at every little pained groan, hands ready to massaged his leg. He listen to no reason or excuse, not even when the veteran’s leg actually felt better. Anything else he needed, Jack will immediately get for him, from drink, more food, and to be honest, it was actually pretty enjoyable.

 

Of course, he’s not actually going to say that out loud. He will not encourage this sort of treatment for both Jack and even himself.

 

Then, near lunch time, the doorbell rang.

 

“I’ll get—“

 

“Gabe, if i see you out of that sofa, i will throw this pan at you,”

 

Gabriel obediently - there really is a first time for everything, he imagined Ana would say if she sees him now - sat back down, and watched as Jack came out of the kitchen to the front door, a plain white apron worn on top of his sky blue polo shirt. From where he sat, Gabriel couldn’t actually see the guest, but voices travels in this place, and he could hear Jack opening the door and greeting his guest softly.

 

“Wow,” a high pitched voice said from the same direction, “You really are home, Mr. Jack!”

 

The door was closed, and there was some shuffling from the entrance’s direction, “Of course i am, Lena, why wouldn’t i be?”

 

“Well, since Mr. Gabriel starts coming around, we rarely see you this time of the day. Why are you not with him today?”

 

“Oh, i am, actually. He’s inside. He’s feeling a little under the weather, so we decided to stay in for the day,”

 

 _You mean you decided we should stay in,_ Gabriel thought sulkily. Then again, he kind of just went along instead of fighting it, so he supposed Jack wasn’t the only guilty party around.

 

Lena came bounding in, her windswept hair rustling along with her energetic motion, “‘ello, luv,” she cheerfully greeted, putting her backpack down on the carpet before leaping to the empty spot right next to Gabriel. As Jack picked her bag up and put it away on the sofa, the little girl inquisitively cocked her head and stared at Gabriel’s leg, “Ah, you have a bum leg, do you, old chap?”

 

“It’s just an old wound. It’ll heal,”

 

Jack snorted, crossing his arm across of the desk from them, “That’s what he has been saying the whole day, Lena,” the white-haired man bemoaned with a sad sigh, “Even when he had to be carried up here by Mako, Jamison and Winston. Ridiculous, isn’t he?”

 

Gabriel winced, ‘Do you really have to repeat that to everyone?’

 

“I wouldn’t have to if it hadn’t happened,”

 

“It’s not like i’m doing that on purpose, Jack,”

 

“No, you just decided to walk the 200 miles walk from your place to mine with an obviously injured leg on purpose, Gabe,” 

 

Oh now, here comes the hyperbole. Jack doesn't even know where he live. The veteran raised both of his hands in defeat, while surreptitiously rolling his eyes behind them. Next to him, Lena giggled.

 

Finally appeased, Jack asked them both what they wanted for lunch and left to the kitchen, but not before warning Lena not to let Gabriel got off from the sofa. When he was gone, the little girl turned back to him, and stared at him with large, amused eyes, “You two are funny,” she commented, “You two acted like Winston and Athena,”

 

Gabriel reached over to the table and picked up the half empty glass of water. The condensation on it has mostly dripped on the table and leaving small puddle underneath where the glass was, “Yeah?” he asked half-heartedly, still sulking over the series of events that has happened since this morning, “And who’s Athena?”

 

‘Winston’s girlfriend,”

 

A fountain of mixture between water and saliva sprayed out from Gabriel’s mouth to the carpet, table and both Jesse and Hanzo’s fur, causing both dog to immediately scamper away from the vicinity with startled barks and yips. In his shock as well, Gabriel’s leg slipped from the table and bumped to the underside of the wooden furniture, causing the man to yelp from the sudden rush of pain that has nothing to do with his old aching metal-infused bones. 

 

“Gabe?! What’s with the ruckus?” 

 

“Nothing!”

 

“He sprayed water all over the floor!”

 

“No, Lena, shh!”

 

“Why are you spraying water around, Gabe?”

 

“I choked on my water, Jack! It’s fine! Just go back to— whatever it is you’re doing back there,”

 

“Are you okay—“

 

“Yes! Damn, Jack, can’t a guy get into an accident once in a while?”

 

“You already had two so far today! And don’t curse in front of Lena!”

 

“It’s not like i’m doing it on purpose!”

 

“Oh, just like how you didn’t fall on your bad leg in the lobby on purpose?” Gabriel shook his head incredulously as he tried his best to tune the rest of Jack’s scolding out, putting the damned water glass back to the table as Jack continue to counter his every word. His leg is still hurting from hitting the underside of the table, and Hanzo was glaring at him from the other side of the table, fur still damp. Jesse didn’t seem to care, other than carelessly shaking water out in a flurry of black fur.

 

Lena was smiling so big he could see her teeth poking from under the peach coloured lips, “I take it back, Winston and Athena aren’t this bad,” she told him in a stage-whisper, “You two are more like Lucio’s mom and dad,”

 

Gabriel gave her a despondent look, before running his hand down his face with a weary sigh.

 

 

* * *

 

 

But of course, in the course of a month he knew them, Gabriel should’ve expected that when one of the trio is here, the other two will soon follow. The next time the doorbell rang it had been Hana, a handheld gaming device in hand and a large smile that showed her recently missing tooth to show, and not half an hour later, Genji’s telltale yapping could be heard before the doorbell rang and Jack lets Lucio come in.

 

As Jack gave their lunch some finishing touches - whatever that means - each of the three decided that considering his current inability to move - a restriction rather than an actual ailment, that is - Gabriel would make a good chair, and sure enough, Gabriel found himself unable to move due to a whole new reason that has nothing to do with his leg. Lucio and Hana had decided to make both of his thighs as substitutes for the sofa and his chest as the backrest, while Lena had taken residence on his shoulder, using the backrest of the sofa as a cushion for her rear while she slung both legs over Gabriel’s shoulder.

 

Gabriel sighed for the nth time that day, “You kids do realize you’re not that small or light, right?”

 

From his right thigh, Lucio twisted around to look at him, “Yeah, but we all fit anyway,”

 

Hana, the smallest of three, didn’t even give him the decency of eye-to-eye conversation, her nose still buried in her device, “Besides, you’re comfy,”

 

The small hand resting on his forehead tilted his head back gently, and Gabriel look up to stare at the reflection of himself across Lena’s blue goggles, “And you’re strong enough to carry all of us, old chap,”

 

And that’s true. But that’s not the point. Although at this point, Gabriel wasn’t sure he even had a point. He grumbled and leaned back against the sofa, slouching a little to allowed Lena a larger space between her body and his head, and for the two other kids to lean better. Across the table, Jesse had taken to playing with Genji, letting the little puppy climb and jump from his much larger body while he lay still on the floor. Hanzo was dozing in front of him, bushy tail flicking once in a while as if the dog was reacting to something Gabriel couldn’t see.

 

Gabriel took in the sight of the three kids literally around him, to the dogs, and to the sound of utensils clanking about in the kitchen. With a final sigh, he closed his eyes.

 

Well, it beats staying in his bedroom all day.

 

 

* * *

 

 

When he opened his eyes next, the weight around his shoulder and thighs are gone, the sky outside the window has gone from bright blue to a gradient of red and yellow and instead of kids, Jack was sitting next to him, smiling. He smiled wider when Gabriel focused his blurry sight to him, “Had a nice nap?”

 

“Hell lot better than the beds in the barracks,” he mumbled groggily, and stifled a yawn, “What time is it?”

 

“Just a little over 4.30,” Jack told him, before patting his thigh, “The kids took the dogs to play downstairs just near the lobby, with Mako and Jamison looking after them. I thought you’d appreciate the undisturbed rest, you look like you need it,”

 

He actually does. Despite the awkward position, it had been one of the most satisfying rest he ever had, “It’s been a while since i slept that well,”

 

“It sure looks like it, not even Lena coming down from your shoulder woke you up,” Jack told him with a smile, before he stood up. It was then Gabriel noticed that someone had placed a blanket over him, and he wondered if Jack had been sitting there the whole time after the kids were gone, waiting for him to wake up. Shit, he felt bad, “I could heat up your lunch now and let you go back to sleep if you like,”

 

It sounds tempting, considering how refreshed he felt after that short nap and honestly the smell of food that wafted around the apartment before he fell asleep had been incredible. But still, Gabriel doesn’t make it a habit to be lazing about, and he’s not going to start now, “It’s fine, i’m not that tired anymore. I’ll take the lunch if you don’t mind,”

 

He made his way to the dining table - Jack hadn’t commented about him walking towards the dining table, maybe he finally saw sense and saw that he’s better? He hoped so - and came out of the kitchen shortly after with two plates in his hand. It was spaghetti, a child friendly meal, with meatballs and bolognese sauce, one which he placed in front of Gabriel and the other to himself. The veteran took note of this and frowned, “You haven’t had your lunch?”

 

“Not really,” Jack replied as he sat down on the other chair next to Gabriel’s instead of across him, “Between keeping an eye at the kids so that none of them gave anything to the dogs and cleaning up their mess afterwards, i didn’t really have time too. Plus, i thought you’d appreciate the company once you woke up,”

 

“Ah shit, sorry,” after getting the chance to see the trio together in a dining place, Gabriel had seen the sort of ruckus they could raise. Suddenly he felt guilty for just passing out when he could’ve been helping around, “You could’ve wake me up to help, you know?”

 

Jack waved him away with a smile, “Aw, don’t worry. I always take care of those kids whenever their parents are still at work anyway. And besides, Lena was right. I haven’t been spending as much time as i used to, so it’s my way of making it up to them,” with his fork, the white-haired man cut up one meatball into two, and bite in to one of the half. There’s a small stain of sauce left on the corner of his lips.

 

“Right,” Gabriel said distractedly, still eyeing the small sauce stain. Jack didn’t seem to notice it yet, as he pierce and twirled his fork on the plateful of spaghetti. When he lifted the utensil up, the spaghetti strands have curled together into a moderately sized ball, which he then popped into his mouth. Methodical and efficient, except for the part where it left more stain on the corner of his mouth.

 

Jack’s mouth, which is rather… proportionate seems to be the correct word to describe him really, but at the same time, it seems lacking. In fact, the whole month in which they knew each other, it was always a little difficult for Gabriel to find the correct word to describe Jack. Like his mouth, a shade paler than pink and thin enough just like men in general, but at certain angles, they always look supple, especially after he finishes chewing on them or when he was eating. Like right now.

 

Still unaware of the stain, Jack popped in the second half of the meatball from earlier, and he licked the corner of his mouth. It got some of the stain, but it left nearly half of it still poking out, bright red against pale skin. Jack’s skin is rather pale, isn’t it? It does have the telltale sign of tan from outdoor activities, but the initial colour was still there. He remembered comparing his own to Jack’s once, how complimentary the colour was, and Jack’s skin had been soft to the touch, his arm smooth with only a little hint of hair. 

 

Speaking of hair, Jack’s entire hair is snow white. Not even Gabriel’s had gone that bad, and he’s pretty sure he’s the oldest one between the two of them. Not that it’s a bad thing - like he said, everything about Jack is proportionate - and if anything, it seems to compliment him even. He looks wise, an illusion that always amused Gabriel because said illusion would only become true around certain people. Like with children, or the children’s parents. Then he’d be walking down the park with Hanzo, cooing at his dog and he’s just another silly old man. He supposed the same also rang true with him and Jesse, but he’s pretty sure that no matter how much he liked to play around with Jesse, he ever looked like Jack did with Hanzo, the way he would baby talk an adult dog with eyes shining so brightly.

 

Eyes, Jack’s eyes were always the colour of sea, he always figured, a shade darker than the shirt he’s currently wearing. They were always hidden behind his ridiculous red glasses, but the rare moments Gabriel do caught them without the obstruction, they look so bright and earnest, yet at times, cloudy and evasive. 

 

They say eyes are the window to the soul. Jack’s eyes must be the clearest window of them all.

 

Those eyes that are always so expressive.

 

Those eyes… that were staring straight at him with a hint of confusion in them.

 

“Is.. there something on my face?”

 

“Erhm,” Gabriel replied gracefully, “It’s uh, sauce,”

 

Jack frowned, “Sauce?”

 

“Sauce. On your face,” 

 

“Oh. Oh! Well, that’s embarrassing,” Jack laughed shyly as he reached up and wipe the corner of his lips. He reached the wrong side, “Is it gone?”

 

“No, you got the wrong side. Here let me—“

 

Before he knew it, Gabriel had his hand on Jack’s cheek, thumb pressing on the patch right behind the stray stain of sauce he had been staring at, and at that moment, there are two thoughts running in his head: One, this scene resembled one of the soap operas he watched last night, one which led to a very passionate scene of love confession and love making, and two, Jack’s face was actually a lot smoother than his arm, with only occasional disturbance from wrinkle lines.

 

None of these thoughts are comforting, and yet Gabriel find it hard to move.

 

It didn’t help that Jack is staring at him so intently, his blue eyes so wide, and his lips seen from the perfect angle that made them look thicker and rosier. He’s a good looking man, Gabriel could admit, but this close, while they’re literally sitting next to each other, that word just doesn’t seem to fit, like it’s not enough to fully describe him the way Gabriel never managed to find the perfect word to describe everything that is Jack Morrison.

 

One thing he could describe correctly now, is that deep blush fits Jack’s face well.

 

In the 60 odd year he’s been alive, Gabriel Reyes never see anything else more fitting, or more beautiful than that.

 

An instinct, different from the one he had honed for decades in the battlefield, seems to overwhelm him then. That he’s supposed to do something, that he wanted, no, needed to do something. He knew what it is, he had seen enough soap opera to know, but Gabriel couldn’t believe such thought would, if ever, cross his mind. It felt so unfamiliar yet right, and for the life of him he never thought that he’d ever wanted to. Moreover, to who he wanted it with.

 

And, oh, Jack’s eyes are fluttering, fluttering and slowly closing. 

 

Gabriel swallowed the lump in his throat, and against all rational thought, leaned closer.

 

And then, the doorbell rang.

 

It was only thanks to years worth of reflex training that Gabriel could catch himself before he could fall down from the toppling chair brought down by the sheer motion of his backward stumble at the sudden ring. Likewise, Jack had reeled back in shock, and turned around in the sort of speed that normally would’ve caused whiplash. Both were breathing hard, easily heard in the silence of the apartment, and Gabriel know that logically there is no way it is audible to anyone but himself, but the volume of his blood rushing and heart thumping in his ear made him feel like everyone in the world could hear it.

 

Jack had been the first to regain his composure, and stood up with the stumbling grace that sent his chair falling, “I—um, i-i’ll go and see who that is,”

 

Gabriel didn’t answer him, too busy making sure he won’t experience cardiac arrest right then and there from how fast his heart is thumping. He only made out the sound of Jack’s footsteps along the floorboard, and the muffled conversation behind the entrance door. He didn’t even catch the greetings and whatever conversation was going on the front door, between swiping the glass of water on the dining table and downing the entire content in a single gulp.

 

Fuck, his entire face felt like it’s in a steaming sauna from how hot it felt.

 

Soon enough, the sound of yips and woofs entered the previously silent apartment, followed by children’s chatter and adults murmur. Gabriel looked up from his glass to see Jamison walking next to Jack, with Mako behind them, “No i’m serious, mate, that flush don’t look too healthy. Ya sure ya don’t come down with a bug, Mr. Morrison?”

 

Indeed, Jack’s face was still fully flushed, even worse than before. Him rapidly shaking his head on every one of Jamison’s accuse doesn’t make it any better, “I assure you i’m not sick, Jamison. It’s.. it’s the weather, that’s all,”

 

“The weather doesn’t make you look that red, mate, what are y—“ the blonde Australian turned then, and Gabriel really, really need to know what he saw in his face that made the skinny man suddenly grinned widely, mischievously, as he turned back to Jack with a leer, “Oh, i get it, mate. _Weather_ , eh? Yeah, that’s what the young ‘uns are calling it these days,”

 

Jack sputtered even more, “W-what? Jamison, i don’t—“

 

“Now, now, the kids’ not gonna understand but me and Mako here are adults, see? We get adult stuff,” the pointy faced Australian turned to his enormous partner, nudging his bony elbow to Mako’s rotund stomach, “Eh? Eh? Ain’t that right, mate?”

 

It was usually hard to tell what Mako Rutledge is thinking with the gas mask on, but then his movement was so obviously scrutinising Jack and Gabriel that it made Gabriel’s grip the glass in his hand so tight he actually felt it crack, “Next time,” he said, tone almost apologetic, “We’ll be sure to call ahead,”

 

The glass in Gabriel’s hand cracks and breaks into pieces on his lap.

 

 

* * *

 

 

The only silver lining from that point onward was that the kids seems oblivious as to what has transpired over their heads, because as their parents and guardian pick them up one by one, each of them tried so hard to slip in that they know, its beyond mortifying. Lucio’s father had quipped that he was so happy that for once in his marriage he won a bet against his wife, Hana’s parents apologized that their daughter had intruded on a special night, and even Winston had been all smiles when he came to get Lena, patting Gabriel in the back when he came out on his way home as well. 

 

“You’re making us younger men look bad here, Gabriel,” he had said in a stage whisper so closely resembling what Lena had done earlier in the day, “Not even crippling pain can stop you, now that’s true dedication. You’re setting the bar pretty high for men everywhere,”

 

He couldn’t even correct him because Winston had picked up Lena then, both waving at them as they made their way to the upper floor where they live and suddenly there’s only him and Jack in the entire hallway, with Jesse and Hanzo standing next to them. Jesse loomed behind Hanzo, his massive bulk overshadowing the smaller dog almost completely as he rest his head on top of Hanzo’s. The smaller dog didn’t seem to react much to this, but considering the Shikoku’s hostile reaction to Jesse near a month ago, this is a major improvement in their relationship.

 

And yes, Gabriel is fully aware he is overly analysing his dog’s budding relationship to avoid staring directly to Jack’s eyes. He knows, he’s self-aware.

 

“So…,”

 

“Right,”

 

He huffed and crossed his arms. Jesse had now gone to sniff all over the smaller dog’s body, poking his nose to every inch of Hanzo’s body, from head to tail. He wondered what that means in dog’s world, and if it’s on the same level of creepiness as him watching Hanzo sleep. Probably not, considering that Hanzo barely react to it, but then again the white-grey dog largely ignores Jesse, so it might be less about appropriateness and more because Hanzo didn’t really care.

 

Or something. Are dogs even capable to have a degree of appropriateness and manners? He sure never sees the example of it in Jesse.

 

Gabriel was still staring at the two dogs, and from the corner of his eyes he caught Jack twiddling his thumbs in an erratic motion. He probably should say something, really, it felt appropriate, but he can’t think of anything aside from ‘good night’ or ‘see you’ and that’s not the sort of talk they needed right now. 

 

He should probably act now.

 

“Jack—“

 

“Look, Gabe—“

 

They look at each other in surprise, and Gabriel couldn’t help the laugh that escaped him. God, he’s been watching soap opera since he was small enough to fit in his pa’s lap and this is just such a cliche scene he couldn’t believe he’s seeing, no, experiencing it in real life. And to think he always calls them exaggerated, “You go first,” he told Jack in between fading laughter.

 

“Right,” Jack nodded, his thumbs still circling around each other in front of his pelvis, “I uh, i guess i have a little confession to make,”

 

At Gabriel’s nod, Jack began to chew on his lower lip, a sign that he’s nervous,  “So, i have to confess, the first time we met, when i ask you if we can meet again to let Hanzo and Jesse play together, well, it wasn’t really a lie, per se, i really mean it when i wanted Hanzo to have a different playmate. But i guess i also have a different motive then, aside from just the dogs,” 

 

Gabriel didn’t know why, but his throat felt dry and not even swallowing helps, “Okay,”

 

“I.. well, i also kind of wanted to see you again. I thought you were nice, and as much as i connected with the people around here, well, it’s nice to see someone closer to my age than just dealing with young people and kids. If you haven’t guessed already, there’s not really many of them around,” he chuckled, “As, well, in Hana’s language, _lame_ as it is, i guessed is was looking forward to having friends,”

 

The smile on his face dropped, “I thought it was all going so well, that you were much nicer than i thought initially, and i’m so glad that the dogs were starting to warm up to each other, until… Well, until yesterday happened,”

 

The flurry of event that was yesterday: Meeting people from Jack’s past, one he had never once gave any detail to, and the almost accident. Gabriel grimaced as the last event made his leg twinge slightly, as if to remind him just what exactly had caused the pain in the first place. He shrugged it off, not wanting to ruin this pace they had set themselves in, and continued to listen stoically.

 

Finally, Jack continued, “I’ve been thinking about what you said yesterday, about how i can talk to you when things get too much and that you’ll listen,” he sighed, releasing the poor abused lips that has now turned slightly red, “I.. i don’t think i’ll want to, or even be ready to tell what happened. At least, not any time soon. It was too hard just thinking about it,”

 

The veteran nodded, “I understand,”

 

“But that’s not all. No one has ever told me that, you know? No one ever offered something like that to me. I just.. the more i think about it, the more i appreciated it. The more i appreciated you,”

 

He didn’t know why, but the burning sensation across his face was back. It didn’t hurt or anything, but it was like his pores are steaming, and it’s so unfamiliar it actually made him fidget on his heels. Gabriel instinctively look away, and cleared his throat to shrug off the building lump inside, “Huh,” 

 

Jack laughed, sincere and breathy. It made his face hotter for some reason, “You’ve been a really great friend, Gabe. And that’s exactly why i felt guilty,” he pursed his lips to a thin smile, as he lifted his head and stared at Gabriel’s eyes with his own two blue orbs, “I felt like i’m overstepping a boundary the way… the way i started thinking about something more,”

 

For some reason, Gabriel remembered a time back when he was still the CO in the spec ops branch he was assigned to, when a new recruit requested to talk alone. He had been young, not as young as Gabriel was when he first get involved in the world of covert operation, but he’s too young to be confessing to his commander, saying about how much he appreciated the work Gabriel put into training them and how he started developing personal feelings. Gabriel might be a bastard, but he was not heartless, and he let the young then sergeant down before telling him he won’t mention it to anyone and they should never speak of it again.

 

Jack’s words reminded him of how coy that sergeant had been, how vague his words were chosen, never directly saying what exactly he wanted in order to give him a leeway should Gabriel say no. It spoke of doubt, fear of rejection, and this time, he even find it a little endearing, never mind that his face was starting to heat up even more. It was for that reason then did he soften up and let the sergeant down as gently as he could, and it was for that reason now that he reached out and held Jack’s hand in his.

 

“I mean it, when i said i haven’t rest that good in a while,” he started, and Gabriel had the strong urge to remove the damn glasses from Jack’s face because he wanted to see those eyes without the obstruction right now, “I haven’t had or experience anything good in a while now, in fact. I haven’t talk, walk, goes out, meet people, i was an empty shell walking around in my house,” he held Jack’s hand tighter in his, and the lump in his throat seems to grow exponentially as he finally spit something he never really admit to himself, “I don’t want to go back to how things were, before you came into my life,”

 

The hand he held twisted, and it held his instead of the other way around. Then, the same hand pulled him forward, and suddenly something soft pressed itself to his cheek, slightly damp from chewing and utterly capable to make his face even hotter than before. Dazed, Gabriel barely registered Jack’s chuckling near his ear, a hand placed on the spot where the lips had been on his cheek before.

 

“I’ll see you tomorrow morning, then, Gabe,” he paused, and patted Gabriel’s cheek, “Provided you’re no longer in any sort of pain, of course”

 

Oh, he’ll force his entire body to behave if he have to, “Y-yeah. Tomorrow, bright and early,”

 

Next to their legs, Hanzo came out of the apartment once more, one of the blue dragon dolls in mouth, which was dropped it in front of Jesse. The larger dog sniffed it before cocking his head inquisitively to Hanzo, who nudged the doll closer to Jesse’s direction. Seemingly understanding the other dog’s intention, Jesse brightened visibly, barking lowly as he picked the doll up, his tail wagging and thumping happily against the carpeted floor of the wooden flooring in the hallway. 

 

Hanzo scoffed, but there was no denying the little canine smile on those wolf-like features.

 

 

* * *

 

 

“Did you put the hot water compress on like i told you?”

 

“Yes, and the massaging balm too. I swear, if i don’t know any better i’d say you’re trying to get me to cook my legs, it’s fucking hot,”

 

Ana tutted, “Now, don’t be such a baby, Gabe. You’re the one who asked about how to take care of your sore muscles,” Gabriel grumbled as he raised the volume during a climax scene; the meeting between Julia and Marco, the almost lover who turns out to be siblings with the same father. Boy, these television peoples sure are creative these days. 

 

Next to him on the sofa, Jesse was still playing around with the damn blue dragon doll, if playing really just entail sniffing and snuggling close to the soft item. The more Gabriel looked, the more his dog look more like he’s high on drugs than actually happy, and while he should probably test that theory by sniffing it, he wasn’t all that eager to be anywhere near that doll after Jesse had licked all over it like an uncouth mess that he is.

 

“Gabe?”

 

“Yeah?”

 

Ana sighed, “Why are you so easily distracted these days? Come on, you didn’t tell me the rest of the story, what happened after you woke up?”

 

Oh, that’s right. He had been in the middle of explaining to Ana how he had came to Jack’s place with a sore leg and ended up as a children sofa before she had given him instructions about how to quickly heal his muscles, “Well, Jack was there, he told the kids to go play with the receptionist and the dogs and we ate,”

 

The lunch the eventually did finish in between taking care of the kids before their parents pick them up, but not without avoiding each other’s eyes during the entire thing. It was silly, considering how the day ended anyway, but his face still felt hot the more he thought about it.

 

“‘We ate’? Well, that’s a little vague, isn’t it?”

 

The latino man rolled his eyes, and almost missed the second too late realization across Marco’s face on the TV when he saw Julia entering the restaurant with her mother in tow, “Well, that is what happened,”

 

Ana hummed. He didn’t like this hum. This hum had a slight tone to it, how it was low in the beginning and it started to lift in pitch by the end, the same hum Ana always gave whenever she’s questioning his judgement, when she’s in doubt about something a hostage is saying, or when Fareeha clearly lies about something to her mother. This is not a very good hum.

 

But Gabriel will persevere. He’s not sharing the rest of the detail about Jack, not just yet, not when it was still in this delicate little process where they both hadn’t made it clear of what they wanted even though he pretty much had figured it out.

 

Maybe he watches too many soap opera, but he’s not fucking this up by playing the most common trope in silver screen movies: The jinxing the relationship by telling other people. He’s gonna play it safe, like the couple whose relationship survived the end of the series, staying down low and off the screen and what not, not just blurting it out like it’s firework and the day’s the Fourth of July.

 

Not yet, anyway.

 

Ana didn’t pry for long - hey, he can beat her with sheer perseverance alone if he wanted to - but she gave a little ultimatum at the end that he will tell her soon, no matter what. Unconcerned, Gabriel waved her off and ended the call, promising to call her again tomorrow. As if they don’t call every night because Ana’s a goddamn worrywart dee down.

 

Then again, he never discouraged her, so what does that say about him?

 

After the soap opera episode finally ends, he shut the TV off and tapped Jesse’s back. The Rottweiler look up from where he had his nose buried in Hanzo’s doll to him, “Come on, i’m going to bed,” he told the dog, who immediately recognize the word and jumps off from the sofa, doll held in his mouth, “Aren’t you a little too old to be sleeping with a doll, _chico_?”

 

Jesse whined low, rubbing the corner of the long doll to his fur. Gabriel sighed. Oh well, “If my bed smells like dog slobber, i’m blaming you,”

 

His bed probably did ended up smelling like dog slobber where Jesse slept curled around the overtly salivated doll, but for once his dream does not include infusion of memories and instead of green grass, white hair and blue eyes, and in the depth of his peaceful slumber, Gabriel found he could care less about anything else. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You know what i found i'm always bad at? Slow burn romance.
> 
> You know what i hope i'm getting better at as i write this fic? Slow burn romance.
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	6. The Next Step - Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gabriel learns most of his social life from movies and watching other people. This comes to bite him in the ass at age 60.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bit of MATURE CONTENT warning for the start of the chapter, but it's really nothing big.
> 
> I'm making this to to parts because: 1. I'm going to a camping trip on the weekend and forest =/= internet. 2. I need to get this out before i lost connection with the civilised world.
> 
> Hope you'd enjoy!

 

_The body beneath his hand was one fascinating mix of suppleness and hard muscle, and he enjoyed tracing his hands over the outline, from hard shoulder muscles, slim waist, perky bottom before going back up to a narrow hips. The body below him shudder at the ministration, and he couldn’t fight the smirk that slowly rose on his lips as he extracted his tongue out of hot, panting cavern._

 

_Those blue-grey orbs were unfocused, alternating between trying to find his own eyes and rolling backwards. The hand holding on to his shoulder trembled like the legs of a newborn foal, even as it try to slither to the back of his neck, holding on to him like he is a lifeline. He smirked, pressing hot kisses to the expanse of the arm as he began to move again, using the sort of flexibility and stamina men his age rarely retain._

 

_He smirked even wider when the body beneath his shudder violently, and relish in the soft gasps that exited those sinfully saliva-slicked lips. Those eyes finally settled for rolling backward as those lips falls into a perfect ‘o’, the hand around his neck quivering like the legs thrown to either side of his hips._

 

_“G-gabe,” those soft gasps turns into a name, his name, which sent thrill down his spine. He leaned down again, but before he could claim those lips into another searing kiss, a shy pink tongue poked itself out of them, and tentatively licked his cheek. This… certainly is unusual, but he enjoyed it all the same if that is what the flushed body underneath he wanted._

 

_So he press kisses around those lips, letting oddly rough tongue lick his cheek and even across his nose as he run one hand in short white locks, and the other to hold onto lithe waist._

 

_“Jack,” he groaned, and as he lay his eyes upon the flushed, pleasured face, he watched as those beautiful eyes focuses on him, and those puckered lips starting to open. He waited for the breathy rendition of his name, to that arousal-inducing moan. The lips drew in breath, and he braced himself with another smirk._

 

_Then, he heard a bark._

 

“Wha—“

 

Gabriel opened his eyes to see Jesse staring down at him, tongue lolling out and dog breath hitting his face in heavy amount. His face felt suspiciously wet, and there’s a pressure on his crotch, a sensation he hadn’t felt since he was a scoundrel teenager back in his hometown.

 

Broken figments from his dream started flooding into his brain, and it didn’t take a genius to figure out what just happened. 

 

Jesse leaned forwards again, tongue aimed forward, ready to lick.

 

“ _Mierda! Jesse, no! Que asco! Vete! Vete! Jesse!_ ”

 

 

* * *

 

 

“Gabe? Are you okay?”

 

Gabriel remained staring at his own pissed off reflection on the coffee, not willing to look up and reveal his hot steaming face, “Yeah,”

 

“Are you sure? You look a little… scary, to be honest,”

 

He growled. On the far side of Jack’s apartment, Jesse whined pitifully, and hid his larger body behind Hanzo’s. The smaller dog gave him a questioning stare before going back to paw grooming, “I’m fine,”

 

Jack was silent, then he heard ceramic cup hitting wooden table, “Hmm. Okay, if you say so,”

 

Gabriel thunked his head down to the table. 

 

 

-

 

Aside from the first morning’s… misadventure, coming back to Jack’s apartment the morning after their little confession changes little of their overall relationship. They still walk the dogs together, have lunch and dinner, runs errands, decide most of Gabriel’s shopping together, everything that they had done since they first met.

 

That is, until the moment it is time for him to leave. 

 

Usually, a small farewell would’ve been enough, whether it was in front of the door or the streets, shouting to each other like two misbehaving children. They would laugh, giggle and wave, knowing that tomorrow this circle of companionship would begin once again. 

 

It’s not like they don’t do that, but every time he stood in front of Jack’s apartment door, with Jack looking at him expectantly, Gabriel knew he had to do something. He contemplated asking Jack about it once before imagining Jack’s face when he realized Gabriel is absolutely clueless and decided to stuff it. Now, days later with absolutely no action decided, he started to think that maybe one disappointed face would be worth thousands of happy ones later on.

 

Of course, that is, if that one disappointment won’t be the end of it.

 

Right now, standing in front of Jack’s apartment door after a dinner invitation, Gabriel counted that it has been exactly 12 days since their _almost kiss,_ and he had once again do nothing but say goodbye and a promise that he’ll be here again tomorrow morning. Jack had smiled when he closed the door, but even that smile doesn’t hide the disappointment that flittered in his face before he had closed the door on Gabriel’s face.

 

Next to his leg, Jesse cocked his head inquisitively, tail thumping against the wooden floor.

 

“I don’t know what to do, _chico_ ,” he sighed, crossing his arms as he stared despondently at Jack’s door. He could hear pitter patter of foot, both human and dog from behind it, along with the occasional muffled barks and whispered voice, “I know i have to do something, but..,”

 

But he’s not exactly sure what. Give him an attack plan, a stealth mission, hell, even a covert op to gather the political climate and he’ll excel all of that with even a third back up plan. He knows how to calculate an enemy’s movement, whether it was a one on one fight, or even a tactical battle. He mastered the art of interrogation with little use of force through intimidation and reverse psychology, he knows how to read body language from both enemy and ally, and he’ll form a plan accordingly to them. There is a reason why his name was feared even to this day.

 

But right now, he wasn’t faced with some national threat, no, he was rendered useless and doubting himself by a gentle ex-police captain who loved animals and children. All because he didn’t know how to advance with this relationship they mutually build.

 

This isn’t the first time he regretted avoiding to tell Ana about anything at all, but he still held to his belief that this is for the greater good. This is a delicate situation he had put himself to, he didn’t need Ana, who is almost infamous for her hands on intervention to do it for him. Still, she might be able to clue him in as to what to do.

 

Or not. He’s not taking that chance.

 

In his silence, Jesse had taken to pawing at Jack’s door, little whines escaping from his throat. It could be because he heard Hanzo’s howl from the inside, followed by Jack’s laughter. Gabrield smiled. It’s such a nice sound, that laugh. Jesse looked dejected, ears wilting on either side of his head that made Gabriel chuckle and pat him on the head, “Come on, you just met today, you’ll meet again tomorrow for another doggie date doing whatever you guys usually d—,”

 

The lightbulb didn’t just appear and turned on, it was smashed on the side of his head, along with a voice that sound suspiciously like Ana screaming ‘How the fuck did it take you that long to figure this out, you moron!’

 

He knocked on the door with the speed of a thousand woodpeckers and the desperation of a man completely disappointed with himself, “Jack! Jack! Open the door!”

 

The whispered voice and howls inside paused, replaced with an urgent running across the floor. Before he could knock any further, the door was wrenched open and out came Jack, hair tussled and panting, “Gabe,” he said with urgency, “I thought you left! What’s wron—“

 

“Jack!” he half shouted to an alarmed Jack’s face, “Let’s go on a date!”

 

 

* * *

 

 

This morning, woken up from the dream of tussled white hair and soft lips against his, Gabriel Reyes opened his eyes, stared up at the ceiling and thought ‘I am fucked’.

 

As he stepped into the shower, found himself using double the amount of shampoo and body wash than he normally use, cleaning places he never really cared about like the back of his ear and a thorough scrubbing down to his scalp, before deeming himself smelling good enough, he thought to himself ‘i am fucked’.

 

When he searched through his cabinet to throw away the apparently near expired ibuprofen and found a cologne bottle he was given by his unit as a birthday present years ago, his first thought is to smell it, thinking that its good enough, and his second thought as he dabbed it behind his ears, on his neck and even his wrist after he finished trimming his mostly unmaintained beard, Gabriel thought, ‘i am well fucked’.

 

After throwing away the numerous hoodies in his dresser as a viable option of wear today, and instead eyeing his old suit and remembering how Ana - and several other men and women - had complimented him when he first wear it, he picked the suit jacket up from its hanger, put it down on the bed and picked up an old, long unworn turtleneck that he remembered thinking made his waist looks slimmer and his chest and shoulder larger. He put them on along with a black jeans that he hated with passion - because no matter how much Ana said it looks good on him, Gabriel hated that it was so difficult around his thighs he had to shimmy to get in them - took one look at himself on the mirror and think ‘i am very, very fucked’.

 

He put on his beanie just to compromise with himself and feel a little less ‘fucked’, but while the woollen object can conceal his curly hair, it did little to conceal his absolute shame.

 

On the way out, Jesse was waiting for him on the front door, but instead of his collar, it was a red cloth, a red shawl with yellow patterns he once bought during a covert op that he later used as a line for Jesse’s puppy bed. These days he still sees Jesse dragging it around to sleep more often than not. He forbade Jesse from bringing it - as if the collar hadn’t been a tough enough debate - but Jesse looked dejected, and showed him Hanzo’s blue dragon doll. It was then did Gabriel realized what he wanted, and instead of arguing more, he found himself absently thinking that he probably should do the same thing.

 

He didn’t remember to tell himself that he’s ‘fucked’ this time around, because, well, he was too busy thinking that maybe a dog owner won’t really appreciate chocolates for a gift.

 

His musing was stopped when he reached the first intersection on the way to Jack’s house, ignoring the giggling women around him - though maybe he should be more worried considering they are looking at him when they laughed - and focusing more on a young boy in his early twenties next to him, a headphone like device around his ear and hat, and a large bouquet of flower in his hand.

 

“Yeah, I got her the flower!” the boy exclaimed in a thick Bostonian accent to whoever it is he’s talking to on the headphones, “Chicks loves flower, right? Why i’m here? Yeah, i know the dinner’s at 7, I’m gonna go to the restaurant we’re meeting at, do some background check on the staff. Can the cook be trusted? If not i gotta kill ‘em,” he made a gun gesture with his free hand, while adjusting the flower bouquet on the other, “Replace him with my own guy, no later than 4.30,”

 

Maybe Gabriel, as an ex law enforcement member should be more worried that some punk made a public threat to kill someone on a broad daylight, but he was too focused on the large bouquet of flower in his hand to follow through the rest of the conversation, something about fried chickens, stepdads and pretty girls in purple outfits.

 

He took one look at the boy, who was now rolling his eyes while someone is screaming in thick european - french? - accent from his headphones, down to Jesse, who had been happily holding on to the shawl in his mouth, and finally to a small flower store that had just had the closed sign turned to open. When the light turns green, Gabriel walked away from the crossing crowd and towards the flower shop.

 

He really is fucked, but maybe he’ll pull this date off, and he’ll be fine.

 

 

* * *

 

  

When Jack opened his door with a smile that slowly fades to a gaping ‘o’ and wide eyes, Gabriel wanted to slink away, excuse himself and never comes out of his home ever again. He was, after all, dressed in a suit and turtleneck, a combination universe away from his usual hoodie - never mind that his beanie is still attached to his head - he smells like cologne and for crying out loud he’s carrying a flower bouquet the size of his entire torso.

 

If Jack doesn’t think he was such a tool by the end of the day, it’ll be a miracle.

 

“Wow,” the white haired man breathlessly said, taking in the sight of him from top to bottom, “Gabe, i… wow,” he gestured aimlessly, and for a moment, Gabriel forgets his own embarrassment in favour of silently marvelling how adorable Jack looks. He had forgone his glasses, a rare and short occasion indeed that Gabriel thrives in because of how clear he could see Jack’s orbs, and the more he tried to form words, he more his cheeks go rosy.

 

As he slowly felt his own face starting to heat up, Gabriel offered the flower to Jack, almost thrusting the colourful vegetative bouquet directly to Jack’s face, “For you,” he said gruffly, because of course he got to turn into a caveman of limited vocabulary on situations like this, doesn’t he? 

 

Nevertheless, Jack took the flowers gingerly, their hands softly brushing at the transfer. As much as Gabriel enjoyed the rising colour on Jack’s cheeks, he wasn’t blind to his own steaming face, “Thank you. I, It’s beautiful,” the bouquet was large enough Gabriel had been carrying it with two hands along the way, and it had caused him to bump into more than 3 people along the way. The bouquet itself was of three colour variation of purple, blue and yellow, wrapped in white cloth with a green bow. It had been the flowers he thought looks best in the shop, and it had been rather pricey, but hey.

 

Though, as Jack struggled to get it inside, maybe he should’ve bought something smaller.

 

“I think i have a vase somewhere i can put these in,” he said as he led Gabriel inside, Jesse already ahead of them by making his way to Hanzo’s bedroom. Inside, Gabriel’s attention was brought away from the disappearing black tail that is his dog, and to the figure sitting in Jack’s dinner table. 

 

Mondatta Tekhartha looked up from brushing his fingers through Zenyatta’s fur, and instead focusing his eyes on the two of them. Jack excused himself to the two of them as he walked deeper into the apartment, probably in search of said vase. Gabriel took a seat across of Mondatta, who gave him a cursory overall glance, “Mr. Reyes,” he greeted, as Zenyatta purred, “I almost did not recognize you,”

 

Is that an insult? Compliment? He didn’t dwell on it too long, “Me neither,” he replied instead, “Mr. Tekhartha,”

 

“Please, call me Mondatta. It’s what everyone here calls me,” the man chuckled, his hand still diligently brushing Zenyatta’s short fur, “Do not worry, i won’t be here long. I am simply here to drop off Zenyatta for the next 2 days,” Gabriel remembered that Jack once mentioned Mondatta did that from time to time when he must be away on business. He looked down to the kitten underneath Mondatta’s large hand, curling around himself in a pile of white fluff. 

 

“Although if i may,” he said again, gaining Gabriel’s attention back to him. He has a frown on his face, a surprising change from the usual serene expression he always has, “May i ask if there is a problem in your relationship?”

 

Gabriel had a bad flashback to their first meeting, and wondered if the man is going to ramble on something about seeing things in his eyes again. The veteran chooses his words carefully, “No, it’s been great,”

 

Mondatta still doesn’t let up the frown, “Then may i ask why you would deliver such an ominous message to Mr. Morrison?”

 

He knew this is going to be a weird conversation, but he wasn’t expecting it to be a completely apropos of nothing. Or maybe he was the one who was missing things here, “What message?”

 

The bald man gestured to the direction Jack has disappeared into, “Goldenrod, Monkshood, Sweet Pea, and Forget-Me-Not. Be cautious, danger is near, goodbye, and remembrance for the departed. Beautiful flowers on their own, but their meanings are nothing less than eerie and negative,” Mondatta chuckled, his frown melting to an amused smile, “So you can see why i am concerned,”

 

Gabriel could only stare at him, turn to where Jack was, and back to Mondatta with slacked jaw and the feeling of utter despair, “They got meanings?!”

 

His shout actually made Zenyatta jumps to his owner’s lap, all the while keeping tabs at him with beady little eyes. Mondatta himself doesn’t seems perturbed, instead choosing to laugh when Gabriel literally launch himself from the seat and towards where Jack has gone to, all the while shouting, “Jack, no! I didn’t know they have meanings and messages! I didn’t mean it!”

 

Still in Jack’s dining room, Mondatta can hear Jack’s confused reply of, “What message? I don’t see any cards, Gabe, are you sure you didn’t drop it?”

 

The landlord chuckled and calmly rubbed the underside of Zenyatta’s chin to calm the kitten down. 

 

 

* * *

 

 

True to his words, Mondatta left as soon as he gave Zenyatta’s necessities to Jack. As they say their goodbyes, Gabriel warily stared at the flower bouquet, mentally punching himself in the face. No wonder the flower assistant had looked at him with such pity in her eyes. But how was he supposed to know flowers isn’t just there to look pretty?

 

“Sorry to keep you waiting, Gabe” Jack’s voice broke him from his mental anguish, and he turned to look at Jack coming back into the apartment. He had gone and changed his earlier shirt, Gabriel noticed, from the baby pink shirt he wore when he opened the door to a light blue and white argyle vest, with a collared white shirt underneath. With Zenyatta curling on his chest, he looks so— soft is the only word Gabriel could think of that fits, and later, adorable when he started cooing at the little purring kitten.

 

That alone was enough to make him forget his little problem with the flower bouquet, Instead, Gabriel smiled and made his way to the middle of the small living room, right where Jack stood and tentatively reached over to the other man’s waist. Jack’s eyes were instantly on him, much to Zenyatta’s disappointed mewls, the glasses still absent to reveal the grey-blue orbs.

 

The white haired man smiled shyly, “Uhm, you look, really, really handsome today, and you smell really good,” he bit his lower lips, “N-not that you’re not usually good looking, i mean, but it’s.. i really like this new change,”

 

“Changes can be good,” Gabriel raised the corner of his lips to a lopsided smile, “Like how you’re not wearing your glasses,”

 

“I thought it might be nice for a change,” Jack replied, his smile turns slightly sheepish, “It didn’t hurt like it used to whenever i took it off for a long period of time, so i thought it’ll be nice to go out once in a while without looking goofy,”

 

So those glasses really were for medication. Jack never really mention what they are for, and Gabriel had long suspected they go beyond functioning as a fashion statement. He’d ask more, but it wasn’t in Gabriel’s nature to pry, but it is his nature to store away information to put away a new bit of information to later dissect and learn more about. Besides, Jack didn’t seem like he realized he admitted it then.

 

So instead, he raised one hand to cup Jack’s face, a motion resembling their interrupted action the day before, “It’s really, really nice,” he praised, watching the colour rising on Jack’s cheeks yet again, “And it would be nicer if, say, we go out someplace different for the date. You know, for a change?”

 

Jack’s smile grew larger. Gabriel felt a bubbling old sensation of want deep in his core, to just lean down and finish what he wasn’t able to yesterday, “And what would this… different place be?”

 

This is it. This is what Gabriel had woken up to early this morning, when he decided that his old hoodie would not do for today, when he decided to go through the troublesome ritual of shifting through his limited wardrobe, wears a cologne from years ago, spent an outrageous amount of money to a bunch of flower that apparently was more suitable to be given to an enemy than the person he is openly trying to woo with little to no experience. 

 

Now, he had only heard this line used once, and it was in an American drama he would never admit to have watched in a fucking theatre of all places to his death. If he could execute this, then everything he had gone through since this morning would be worth it. He wanted to make whatever this thing is between himself and Jack work out, and he’ll damn sure execute it with the usual concentration he gave his every mission details.

 

“I have some ideas,” he started, slowly leaning down but not close enough he couldn’t see Jack’s expression, “Of course, the place won’t really matter, if you’re with me,” 

 

As he closed his eyes, he could hear Jack gasping softly as he closed his first, peach coloured lips puckering slightly. Gabriel tries to ignored the hard thumping in his chest when he could feel Jack and his breath mingling in such a close space.

 

He could feel Jack’s lips against his, his slightly chapped ones against Jack’s chewed and damp ones when he heard strangled mewing from between them and the feel of dull nails against his chest. Between them Zenyatta is struggling to save himself from the rapidly closing space around him, and has taken to scratching Gabriel’s shirt to get their attention.

 

“Oops, sorry, Zenyatta,” Jack sheepishly put the little kitten down on the table, and with a final mew, the little ball of fluff made his way out of the living room. Once sure that there is no more interruption, Gabriel pulled Jack by his waist, pressing them chest to chest, “Now, where were we?” they chuckled as Gabriel leaned forward to Jack’s awaiting puckered lips.

 

Gabriel had only titled his head slightly to the side, the side of his nostril bumping against Jack’s own, and the soft peak of Jack’s lips was against his in a slightly brush when he could feel the impatience boiling in his blood as well. God, he hadn’t been this close to a human being in such a long time, feeling the flare of their hip and body wrapped inside of obstructing clothes. He felt a new thrill as Jack shivered at his slowly raising hand, and Gabriel liked to entertain the thought that it has been that long for Jack too.

 

He was so close, he could smell Jack’s scent, of fresh dish soap, soil and something so sweet and spicy that could only be Jack himself, and he would feel and taste more if he leaned even lower, where he could actually capture the other man’s lips into a proper kiss than just this shy brush of their lips. So Gabriel dove down.

 

And was promptly stopped by the doorbell, an obnoxious knocking and a shrill scream from behind the door, “Mr. Jaaaack! Are you hooome?!”

 

“ _Que mier— Ay, madre di dios! Me vuelvo loco!_ ”

 

Jack looks surprised by his outburst, but even that didn’t hide the fact that he was slightly miffed by the interruption. He was a lot more diplomatic about it than Gabriel of course, “I’ll go and let the kids in,” he said with a huff as he made his way to the door. Meanwhile, Gabriel had thrown himself to the sofa, grumbling all the way.

 

“ _Por que a mi_?” he muttered as the children’s voices become less muffled, a sign that Jack has let them in. Pitter patter of feet has also entered the room from the other side, and Gabriel looked up to see Jesse walking in, tail wagging with an extra spring on his step. Behind him, Hanzo followed in a more sedated pace, a familiar red shawl haphazardly thrown over the dog’s lithe build. Gabriel’s face fell even more as Jesse rubbed his side against his leg before once again trying to snuggle closer to Hanzo. 

 

He sighed dejectedly, “At least one of us got somewhere today,”

 

A yip does more than to signal Gabriel as to what is coming, and true enough, a small mostly white fur comes tumbling to Jesse’s side. Genji’s barking and leaping was more friendly than malicious, pawing at Jesse’s side happily to get the larger dog’s attention, which Jesse soon happily gave without breaking contact away from Hanzo. Those two sure has gone a long way.

 

“—Is going, but we are going out today,” comes Jack voice, the children arriving in the living room, beating him to the punch. 

 

“But you guys are always out!” Hana protested, her sad frown pulling the two pink markers on her cheek along. Gabriel never finds out if that thing really is a marker or a sticker, “Can’t we play with you and the dogs today too? Please?”

 

“My parents and Hana’s aren’t home and Winston is out of town until tomorrow morning. Please?” Lucio begged, pouting adorably in a way only children can. 

 

Lena had taken the only side not occupied, right behind Jack, tugging on his pants, “Please, Mr. Jack, Mr. Gabriel, can’t we come along today too? It’s so boring with just us!”

 

And somehow hanging out with a pair of elderly walking their dogs is a lot more exciting? Gabriel mused bitterly, he always thought it was the opposite with children these days.

 

“I’m sorry kids,” Jack patted each one of them on their heads with the sort of patience Gabriel couldn’t muster in this situation, “But not today. Gabe and i are planning to— uh, go out somewhere special,”

 

One that preferably only involve the two of us, Gabriel sulkily added silently, and maybe with the dogs, but that’s it.

 

The three kids’ faces fell, almost making the veteran feel guilty. Almost, “B-but can’t we go too? 

 

Nope, nope, and nope.

 

Jack pressed his lips thinly, “Maybe next time,” he looked across the room, where Gabriel sat, “Its kind of a special occasion for Gabe and i,”

 

Damn straight.

 

That should be it. Lena, Lucio and Hana has finally let Jack’s shirt and pants go, however dejected, and they should soon be on their way. He didn’t exactly have a tangible idea for today, but Gabriel is sure he won’t take Jack to the park as usual. No, he’d take Jack to a nice place somewhere in town, somewhere Jack will like, just the two of them. And the dogs. Maybe Genji can come along, as long as he stays quiet.

 

That’s… that’s how it usually is, right? That’s what the young guys in the unit does, and the movies always do that.

 

Anyway, that’s how today will be.

 

At least, it was supposed to be until the children turned to _him_ instead.

 

“Mr. Gabriel,” they chorused almost simultaneously.

 

“No,” he grunted. They couldn’t even make Jack fall for their tricks, what makes them think _he_ will? Jack’s the soft one around them, not him.

 

Hana was the first to move, clutching on to his knee and letting her bottom lips quiver, “Pleeeease?”

 

Lucio was hot on her heels, already latching on one of his arm. His eyes is wide, even wider than it was before with Jack, “Mr. Gabriel, we missed playing with you,”

 

“I never played with you guys, i babysat,”

 

The two kids almost made him miss Lena, who took it a step further and actually vaulted to his lap. Some of the larger operatives in his unit can’t even do that sort of manoeuvre, that’s actually impressive. She clung around his neck, bouncing a little on his lap, “We love you! Please, let us come with!” she wailed, and was that actual crying? Ah shit. He looked at Lucio, who has taken to rubbing his face to his sleeve, and Hana, tugging away on his pants leg.

 

“I— T-there’s always tomorrow—“

 

“But tomorrow school days starts again and we won’t meet you guys until next week!”

 

Lena had taken to burying her face to the crook of his neck. Gabriel looked up helplessly to Jack, who, instead of looking at him, had a hand covering his mouth. It did little to actually hide the amused smile that grows on his face the more the kids beg. No help there, apparently.

 

He looked back down to the children, to the dogs, and to Jack, who finally caught his eyes and smiled even wider, his shoulders shaking like he’s laughing.

 

No, today is not going to—

 

“We really missed you!”

 

Fuck.

 

Gritting his teeth, Gabriel placed one hand on Lena’s back, and the other on Lucio’s shoulder. He heaved a sigh, “Just… at least tell your parents where you’re going,”

 

The children’s weeps suddenly turned to joyful hurrah, followed by the dogs’ surprised barking. Gabriel gave them another cursory glance, every single one of them, and slumped on his chair.

 

He felt like he’d just been made a complete fool of. If only he can make sense why he felt so defeated.

 

Jack’s loud laughter brought him back from his sullen musing, watching the white haired man gave up trying to stifle his laugh and throws his head back to let out the laughter he has been holding down. As the children continued to cheer and tries to call their parents - using Lena’s cellphone, because she’s the only one old enough to have one - Jack, still giggling made his way to where Gabriel sat, and, after a surreptitious glance at the kids, pressed a quick kiss on the side of his lips.

 

When Gabriel gave him a questioning look, he giggled and whispered, ‘Maybe we don’t really have to change everything for today,” He didn’t look as displeased like Gabriel thought he would, and if anything, he looked happy with this outcome. 

 

Gabriel sighed, listening to the children loudly trying to tell their parents where they are going, and smiled thinly. Away from prying eyes, he put his hand on top of Jack’s and received a squeeze in return.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Que asco: How disgusting  
> Vete: Leave me alone/ get lost  
> Que mier— Ay, madre di dios! Me vuelvo loco! : What the— Oh, mother of god! I’m going crazy!  
> Por que a mi - why me
> 
> -
> 
> What do you think will happen in the date? Actually, what do happen in dates? 
> 
> Thanks for reading!
> 
> P.s: Thank you so much for commenters who has been helping me with the spanish in this fic! I've fixed the ones you told me about so thank you so much! I learned a lot!


	7. The Next Step - Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The date: part 2.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's 2 am. What am i doing up. Why is this coffee still working so potently.
> 
> Hope you'll enjoy....

 

The first place the children wanted to go to is the shopping district. Well, technically, it had been the mall in the city, but after a patient explanation about how dogs usually aren’t welcome in an enclosed promenade, not to mention the train, the kids finally agreed that the local shopping district will suffice. If Gabriel had to hear another squeaky child’s voice asking ’but why?’ it would be too soon.

 

It was 10 in the morning, and excluding several specialized shops, most of the stores are open. It was a few blocks away from the apartment and thus the people were less familiar, but it didn’t seem to be enough to stop Lucio, Hana and Lena from running all over the place. One second, Gabriel spotted Lena underneath the awning of a toy store and the next second, Jack was already ushering them away from the display glass of a lingerie store.

 

Even the dogs were unusually unhelpful. Aside from Genji, who was carried by Lucio, Jesse was quick to dart towards the younger humans rather than his own owner, and Hanzo was sticking close to Genji and every so often Jesse. That left both him and Jack following from the back, having to actually exert some energy to catch up.

 

It was early, the sun was bright even if the wind was rather chilly, and Gabriel already regretted his attire choice for the day.

 

An hour later, he regretted a lot of things. 

 

Now, he’s not stingy. He had certain tendencies for saving money, but that’s only because he came from a poor family that instilled the behaviour in him since young and living sufficiently is something taught during his military years. Besides, both his pension and wage were more than what he’d spend on himself on the daily basis. That hasn’t changed since he was discharged, and even with Jesse, he doubted it will change anytime soon.

 

What Gabriel did mind however, is seeing the tower of ice-cream the children had decided to buy and the bag full of toy they just bought, one that he’s currently totting, and realize that he had been the one who bought all of that. He’s not even mad about the fact that the kids bought that much and probably won’t play with them long or managed to finish the all - he’s of the opinion that kids should be allowed to be kids, seeing the world as wonderful as long as they could, because life’s fucked once you’re above that age - and he’s not mad at them for wanting all of that and begging him to buy it for them.

 

No, Gabriel was mad for allowing himself to be tricked by large, pleading eyes of three children, and caving in under 5 seconds flat.

 

Jack probably could read minds - or his displeasure is so easily read on his face - because he smiled pitifully, and commented, “It’s okay to say no to them every now and then, you know?”

 

Gabriel grunted, sounding to the world like he’s agreeing. 

 

5 seconds later, Lena appeared in front of him carrying a large gorilla plush, her goggles pushed up to her forehead, “Can i buy a doll too? Hana and Lucio bought one!” she said, referring to the pink bunny and green frog dolls the other two bought in different boutiques. Both which are carried inside of the massive bag Gabriel was carrying. Lena’s eyes are large, her smile hopeful, revealing the one tooth she recently lost.

 

Gabriel stared, grunted again, a definite agreement, and this time he sound defeated more than anything else.

 

When Lena left - with a fistful of money courtesy of a defeated veteran - Jack patted his back, chuckling, “I’ll pay for lunch,”

 

Again, Gabriel grunted, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.

 

 

* * *

 

 

By 11.30, Gabriel could hear giggling along the road, and his face couldn’t get any hotter. 

 

Jack had decided to enforce the mannerism card and told the three kids to thank him after a particularly large raid for snacks in one of the convenient store. A simple thank would’ve sufficed, really, but no, Lena, Hana and Lucio had take it upon themselves to hug him - his legs, at least, the only place they could reach - in the middle of a broad daylight, bags of snacks in their hands as they chanted, “Thank you! We love you so much!”

 

His stammering and effort to push them away was ignored, and the dogs, curious of this human behaviour decided to join in by howling and circling the group of children and his legs. By then, people are staring, women shopping for the night’s dinner with their family and shop keepers interested to see what all the commotion is about. They were all greeted with the sight of three children trying and mildly fighting about who gets to be carried up by a buff old man, who was thankful above else that his complexion is dark enough to hide the flush on his face from all of the attention.

 

“Kids, people are watching,” he begged lamely, trying not to wince when Hana accidentally pulled his ear while trying to climb his arm. She’s light, lighter than the various weights he lifted along his career, but combined with Lucio tugging on his jacket and Lena dangling from his leg, even Gabriel might topple over. 

 

In the end, Lena, the most nimble of three kids managed to sit herself on his shoulder, while Hana was light enough to be carried in one arm and Lucio held his hand with the one he was not using to hold Genji up. 

 

Just a step ahead of them, Jack, standing in between an excited Jesse and bemused Hanzo, had his hand over his mouth, body shaking from holding in his laughter.

 

“Why this?” he mumbled, watching old women tittering on the side of the road, and another few who were openly cooing at the display. 

 

Next to him, obstructed by Hana’s squirming body, Jack laughed at his words. He had Jesse and Hanzo walking alongside him, carrying the various stuff Gabriel can no longer carry now that he had an entirely different commodity with him. Gabriel wanted to smile at his amusement, though he had a feeling it’ll come out pained more than anything.

 

With the three kids carried - or held, in Lucio’s case - they couldn’t exactly run off as easily, so tracking them is no longer a problem. The problem was that each three had different wishes of where to go, and that caused some squeaky conflict that garnered more attention. Gabriel was about to scold them again - which he knew will be ultimately ignored - when their attention was diverted by a series of clapping, and him, alongside the kids, turned towards the source of the noise.

 

“It’s my turn to decide where we should go,” Jack exclaimed, his eyes stern in a no-nonsense way he always had when dealing with children, “And i say it’s about time we have lunch. Eating all of those snacks will have to wait until you eat so you won’t spoil your appetite,”

 

Of course, whining and pleading followed, but for some reason that Gabriel couldn’t discern and irritate him to no end, the kids actually obeyed Jack in the end, albeit reluctantly. Why did they never listen to him?! Is he loosing his touch?

 

After some more debate, which was ultimately overruled by Jack - why?! - they sat inside of a small family restaurant. Hanzo, Jesse and Genji were left on the front door, where the waitress had brought out a dog bowl filled with water and some kibble. 

 

“Mr. Gabriel,” Lucio called when Jack left to accompany Hana to the toilet, “How come you didn’t buy Mr. Jack anything?

 

The aforementioned man stared at the boy as if it was the first time he saw him, “What?”

 

The only boy in the trio puffed his cheek, throwing him a disapproving stare, “You buy all of us stuff, how come you didn’t buy anything for Mr. Jack?”

 

 _It’s not like i bought you guys stuff on my own initiative_ , he wanted to argue, until he remembered he’s talking to an 8 years old and there’s no point in arguing in the first place, “He didn’t ask me to buy him anything,” he said instead, thinking that it should be it. 

 

It’s not. Lena leapt up to stand on the booth’s seat - almost giving him a heart attack as well - her stare incredulous, “Whaaat? Mr. Gabriel, you can’t wait for him to ask you to buy him something, that’s not how dates work!” she shook her head, her pixie-cut brunet locks flowing along with the motion, “It’s more romantic to be spontaneous!”

 

 _What do you know about romance, you’re 11_ , he wanted say, while his mind screamed _you knew it’s a date and you wanted to come anyway?!_

 

Yet instead of these sensible answers, what came out of his mind was a far cry from them, “I don’t know how dates works!”

 

The look thrown at him made him feel like he should be insulted, considering that he’s multiple times their senior, but all Gabriel could feel was utter shame. Only Ana and her stern talking to ever made him feel this way before, and that was only once, where he botched an important mission that even he agreed it had been his fault.

 

“Oh no,” it had been Lucio, who pressed both his palm against his cheeks. It reminded Gabriel of a blonde boy on the movie cover from his childhood, or a particularly creepy painting he saw once during a meeting with dignitaries.

 

Lena leaned even closer on the table, eyes wide in disbelief, “Are you serious?”

 

“This is not good—”

 

“But i thought all adults knows how to date—”

 

“—Poor Mr. Jack,”

 

“Even i know how adults date!—”

 

“He will be sad—“

 

“Well, i only know from Winston and Athena, but still!—“

 

“What are you going to do about this, Mr. Gabriel?”

 

“Mr. Gabriel, you’re hopeless!”

 

“ _Ay, ya basta_!”

 

Widening their eyes, both Lucio and Lena clasped their respective mouths, “Mr. Gabriel said a bad word!”

 

“It’s not a bad word, its Spanish!” 

 

“A bad Spanish word!”

 

“No, it’s not, but that’s not the point,” Gabriel retorted before they could say anything else, “Look, yes, i don’t know what i’m doing. Dating or trying to find a significant other was never an option in my line of work, and i never been to a social function where that is necessary,” The two kids stared at him blankly. Gabriel sighed, “‘I’ve never been to a date before in my life,”

 

Lucio and Lena gasped, and at this point, Gabriel was sure he should at least feel offended.

 

“But,” Lena started, still gaping, “You’re old!”

 

“Really, really old!”

 

“Ancient!”

 

“Super ancient!”

 

“A-antique!”

 

“Super duper antique!”

 

“J—“

 

“Do you have a point other than that apparently i’m as old as dinosaurs?” Gabriel cuts glumly, as if he needed a reminder how old he was. The greying hair underneath his beanie might not be as white as Jack’s, but he had wrinkles and joint pain to compensate.

 

Lena giggled. Any other time it would sound cute, but now, it just add salt to the wound, “Silly Mr. Gabriel, nothing is older than dinosaurs, Winston said they’re million years old. You can’t be million years old,”

 

True, but that wasn’t the point he was making.

 

“Hey, hey, if that’s the problem, we can help you!” Lucio piped, now following Lena’s example and trying to stand on the sofa. He wobbled slightly before gaining his balance, “We’ll make this the best date ever! We’ll be your… um, what’s that word again? Umm, right! Wingman! We’ll be your wingman!”

 

Why an 8 years old know the word wingman, Gabriel didn’t want to know, “And you’ll do this, how?”

 

“I always watch those women talkshows and soaps with mom, and they always talk about dates and guys! I know a lot!” The tanned boy looked so proud of this, like this is a great reveal that Gabriel will marvel at, while the man himself considers asking Jack to talk to Mrs. Santos about appropriate shows for kids.

 

“That’s right, so don’t worry old chap!” Lena proudly announced, clapping Lucio’s shoulder in a show of solidarity, “Between me, Lucio and Hana, this will be the best date ever! You can trust us!”

 

Gabriel wanted to mention that he trust these kids with his love life only as far as he can throw them, but considering he could lift all three without breaking a sweat, he’ll have to look for a new metaphor. Of course, the quest for an appropriate metaphors and its literal application would not fit in his schedule for the day.

 

Lunch in a restaurant should probably be an ideal setting, regardless your knowledge for actual dating ritual, if only you didn’t have 3 kids and 3 dogs that needs constant checking with you. Between indulging Lucio’s chatter, wiping Lena’s greasy lips and helping Hana to cut her food, Gabriel couldn’t even converse with Jack beyond ‘can you pass me another napkin?’. It didn’t help that Jack himself is concentrating more on trying to get the children to eat their veggies than paying any attention to Gabriel.

 

Several stains and two amused servers later, Gabriel paid for lunch - like he’s seriously going to let Jack pays anyway - and went out sans his only nice suit that has now been decorated by excess ketchup from Lena’s burger. At least now he had an excuse not to wear his suit jacket at 12 pm.

 

When he stepped out, Jack had his back to him and both his hands on his hips, while the children were lined up with sheepish looks on their faces.

 

“What happened?” he man asked, folding his suit jacket and slinging it on one arm. 

 

Jack turned, a frown on his face, “Well, now that you’re here,” he started, turning back to the children, “What do you say to Mr. Gabriel?”

 

The trio looked up almost simultaneously, “We’re sorry Mr. Gabriel,” Lena started, repeated by the other two, “We’ll be on our best behaviour for the rest of the day,”

 

“And you bet your tiny behinds i’ll make sure to keep you in line,” Jack added, sternly looking at each children, “Now then, why don’t you guys go and wait with the dogs while i talk with Mr. Gabriel,”

 

The left without any more prompting, but as soon as Jack’s back was turned to them, Gabriel could see Lena and Lucio snickering quietly between themselves, while Hana throws him a thumbs up, “I’m so sorry about this,” Jack spoke, gesturing to his ruined suit and taking Gabriel attention away from the children, “They’re a rowdy bunch, but for some reason they’re especially difficult today,”

 

With his back turned, Jack couldn’t see Lucio leaning down and whispering to Hana’s ear, a large grin slowly blooming on her face, but Gabriel could, plus the odd signals Lena kept throwing him with her hands. He wanted to ask just what is it that they’re doing, but Jack is staring at him intently, obviously waiting for a reply, “Uh, i don’t mind. I’ll clean it up when i got home or something,”

 

“Oh, no, i’ll do it, it’s the least i can do,” he motioned to take the jacket from Gabriel, only for the dark haired man to pull away, ‘Gabe…,”

 

“Jack, i’m serious, don’t worry about it. They’re kids, pretty sure it’s their prerogative to act like a bunch of uncontrolled animal once in a while,” Gabriel wanted to smile, because Jack looks genuinely concerned about his suit jacket and seriously, it’s not even that big of a deal, but of course, leave it to Jack to make it sound the kids intentionally bullied him or something.

 

Although, by the grins now sported in all of their faces, maybe…

 

Jack sighed, “You’re too nice, Gabe,”

 

“I’m not,”

 

Jack smiled again, a little condescending, but he didn’t say anything.

 

A small hand tugged his sleeve, and Gabriel looked down to see Hana trying to pull him away, “C’mon, Mr. Gabriel! This way, this way!” she commanded, pulling on to his sleeve even harder. They all knew he’s much, much stronger than her, and could easily push her away, but he followed her anyway, throwing Jack a ‘what can you do’ look before he followed the trio of kids - and dogs - somewhere around the shopping district.

 

When Gabriel looked back while still being pulled by three pair of small hands, he caught Jack smiling fondly at him and mouthed ‘See? Too nice’.

 

Gabriel would’ve replied that he’s not, if he wasn’t too busy fending off little children and dogs.

 

 

* * *

 

 

The place they take him to is apparently an antique looking bookstore, manned by an old lady who looked mildly annoyed at the ruckus they created by their entrance, “Okay,” he addressed them once he made sure to keep the three in line, and ushered the dogs outside, much to the lady’s approval, “So, why are we here?”

 

Hana piped up from next to him, “We’re here to buy something for Mr. Jack,”

 

“For _you_ to buy something for Mr. Jack,” Lucio reiterrated, gesturing to the inside of the store, “Come on! Pick something nice!”

 

Lena was already wandering inside, touching everything in sight, from books to displayed knick knacks in their respective displays. Gabriel wanted to groan when he spotted the ‘do no touch’ sign right on top of the display rack she’s currently in front of.

 

“But why here?” he made his way to the oldest kid and pick her up, catching the look of relief on the cashier lady from the corner of his eyes. He put her down, but kept her close, “This is a book store,”

 

“An _old_ bookstore,” Lena chirped, “For old people!”

 

“Duh,” Hana added, as if it was supposed to make Gabriel see sense. He didn’t.

 

Still, he decided to give it a go, because, hell, any idea is better than his complete lack of idea. Gabriel began to peruse the collection, looking at titles and genres - while trying to keep the three kids in sight - and it didn’t take him long to realize that it’s not going to work. 

 

For one, book is not something you’d think about when you say romance or date. 

 

Second, it took him considering a military book and a romance one to realize that given that it’s a gift for Jack, he should probably be putting Jack’s preference into consideration instead of his own literature taste.

 

Of course, that leads him to the third point: he has absolutely no idea what Jack’s favorite book or genre is. It never came up in their conversation before, and he sure never see any sort of book in Jack’s apartment.

 

Sighing, Gabriel shifts ‘The Art of War’ and ‘Bridget Jones’ Diary’ to one arm - He won’t give them to Jack, but he’ll still hold on to them both, however, just because - and turn to the children, “I don’t think this place is a good idea. We should probably— Where’s Lena?”

 

There’s only two kids next to his leg, both who decided that looking at each other and shaking their heads is an adequate answer. He was about to scour through the entire shop, already planning where he should start when someone cleared their throat behind him, and Gabriel turned to see the old cashier worker holding Lena by the back of her shirt in one hand and a large box in the other.

 

“Can you keep your kids in line please, sir?” she scowled, gesturing to the wooden object, “This one almost broke the display before i caught her,”

 

“I said i’m sorry,” Lena pouted, struggling in the old woman’s surprisingly tough grip, “How should i know that they’ll move if i touch them?”

 

“You weren’t supposed to touch them in the first place,” Gabriel flatly told her, before turning to the shopkeeper, “I’m sorry, i’ll keep an eye on her—“

 

When he approached her, he caught sight of the item in her hand. It was a box, small and made of polished wood, and on it’s own it is beautiful, but that’s not what Gabriel was interested in. He was interested in the items inside of the box, lined with soft silk cloth and it reminded him of one of his conversations with Jack, early in their meeting. Gabriel considered it briefly, before he looked up to the elderly shopkeeper, who looked annoyed by his sudden silence, “Yes?”

 

“Tell me,” he pointed to the item in her hand, and tried to put on his best winning smile, “How much for that entire thing?”

 

 

* * *

 

 

‘The kids didn’t make you buy something outrageous again, did they?” Jack asked, after trying futilely to take one of the bags Gabriel carried with him. Gabriel refused, because if carrying the kids’ purchases and his own stuff means Jack gets to be the one to deal with them, well, he always says its best to choose something you can actually do well in.

 

“No, it’s not for the kids,” he told him, “It’s something a little different,”

 

Jack didn’t question any further, but Gabriel could tell he was intrigued with the content.

 

Lena, Hana and Lucio has gone to form a small circle just beyond the shop’s entrance, arguing between themselves after Jack told them - albeit reluctantly - that they could choose one more place they want to go to before they have to leave for the day before their parents got home from work. Lucio decided to carry Genji, which in turn attracts Hanzo to him and Jesse automatically followed like a lovesick beau that he is. That leaves both Gabriel and Jack to hang back underneath the store’s awning and watch them try to find an agreement.

 

“Let’s go to movies!” Hana exclaimed, jumping a little, “They always go to the movies on a da—“

 

“Shh! Not so loud, they’ll hear us!” Lucio warned her, hugging Genji closer, who whined at the sudden constriction, “And we can’t go to the movie, they don’t allow Genji inside!”

 

“Let’s go to the Zoo!”

 

“Lena, that’s boring!” 

 

“Whaaat! Zoos aren’t boring!”

 

“You’re the one who wanted to go to the zoo, we have to think of a place for Mr. Ga—“

 

“Gabe?”

 

Gabriel stopped trying to eavesdrop on the children’s conversation - not that it took that much effort considering how loud they’re being - and turned to Jack. The white haired man was staring at him intently, but instead of looking curiously to the content of his new bag, he was smiling, “What is it?”

 

Jack gave the children a quick, fond glance, “I haven’t thank you, you know, for allowing them to come,” He kept his voice low, low enough that Gabriel was the only one around who managed to caught it, “I know people don’t usually like having ‘extra passengers’ during dates, and i wouldn’t have blamed you if you refused to let them come,”

 

The dark skinned man shook his head, “Ey, stop thanking or apologizing for every little thing, would you?” he chided and gave Jack a smile of his own, “And they are a handful, wasn’t sure how their parents deal with them 24/7, but i’ve handled a rowdier bunch back in the day. At least they aren’t fully armed burly men,”

 

Lucio dropped Genji down to the ground while talking even closer with his friends, and the little dog hurried over toward in between of his sibling’s legs. Hanzo sat and begin to groom the top of Genji’s now tussled white fur, all the while Jesse watched dejectedly from the side. This seems to earn the puppy’s attention, as Genji leapt away from the larger dog’s attention and started yipping as he barrelled towards Jesse.

 

“Still, i appreciate it,” Jack continued, “And i know they do too. People always thought of kids as unaware, and that can’t be further away from the truth. They’re smart, they know the adults who are nice to them, who they will feel save around, and they’ll always drift towards those same adults,”

 

Gabriel distinctively remembered Ana mentioning the same thing, back when Fareeha was a child and she brought her quite often to the barracks instead of letting her stay with an extended family. He had asked her if she’s not worried something will happen to her only daughter, when Fareeha, upon the first time she laid eyes on Reinhardt decided to follow the jolly giant around. Ana had given him a more or less same answer, and told him not to worry.

 

His smile turned lopsided as he turned to Jack, snickering while gesturing to the children, “I guess that explains why the kids always follows your around. No one’s more trustworthy than Mr. America,”

 

Jack playfully shoved him, making Gabriel laugh even louder.

 

“You’re one to talk,” the white haired man retorted, “Not even a month and you already beat me in the ‘favorite babysitter’ category,”

 

“What are you talking about, they listen to you more than they will ever do me,”

 

“Don’t even pretend to be obtuse, Gabe,” Jack chuckled, as he leaned closer, almost leaning to Gabriel’s side. The distance was not lost to Gabriel’s attention, “I’m glad that they do. It might be an odd thing to say considering that they’re just my neighbour’s kids, but i love them to bits, rowdiness and all,”

 

“It’s not strange. They grew on you,” _A bit like mould in that manner,_ he added mentally, “i guess, it’s normal to get attached,”

 

Jack laughed, “Attached is an understatement,” his laugh slowly died down, along with his smile, fading to a small, wistful one, “They were my first friends when i first moved here. I didn’t know anyone, i kept to myself and i barely kept contact with anyone, it was a pretty lonely life,” he laughed quietly, sounding almost somber, “I tried not to think too much of it, but just when i thought i’ll be fine with that, they came barged to my life quite literally,”

 

Considering how everyone in the apartment seems to know Jack personally, it’s an understandable confusion to Gabriel. Jack was always friendly, he knew everyone in the building and even the people who frequent the block seems to know him. Who would’ve thought that there was a time back then when that never happen.

 

Then again, back then Gabriel was a recluse himself, barely going out except for rare grocery shopping and to walk his dog. Nowadays, everyone around a neighbourhood that wasn’t even his seems to know him by name, even the ones he never met before. He hummed, telling Jack that he’s listening and to continue.

 

“It had been Hana first, around 4 years old at the time, knocking on my door and crying. It was pretty early, and it was a good thing i had a day off from the station that day, or else i wouldn’t have heard her. Apparently her parents were at work and she locked herself out of the apartment. So i took her in, and when her parents finally came home and frantically searched for their daughter, i told them what happened,”

 

Right now, said girl is trying to make her voice heard in between Lucio and Lena, stomping her foot and whatnot. She looked like she’s close to throwing a tantrum, pouting sulkily when Lucio turned to her and seemingly shot down another one of her idea. Gabriel chuckled, “Of course they’ve been a troublemaker since then,”

 

Jack agreed with a giggle, “I remember Jihyuk and Soonae being really suspicious of me, and i can’t blame them. How would you feel if this stranger suddenly told you he had your daughter with him? Of course, Hana had been really vocal about how i was such a hero, as if i saved her from some danger instead of just feeding her and letting her watch TV until her parents return from work,” he gazed at them fondly, “Of course, that was just the beginning,”

 

“You met the other two the next day?”

 

“Oh no, back then, Winston hadn’t moved in from the city, so i only met Lucio a week later. Hana and him are fast friends even then, and would you believe it? They both just knocked on my door incessantly, demand that i play with them because i’m ‘Hana’s hero’ - their words, not mine, i swear,”

 

Gabriel could believe it, he just couldn’t believe that apparently, that has become the norm 2 years later.

 

“I guess that’s when the people around the apartment started knowing me,” the white haired man continued, “Everyone already knows the two of them, mainly because they’re the only kids in the building, and they told everyone about what i did. Soon enough, i got people left and right knowing my name, smiling at me, and some, like Bastion, even goes another mile and gave me food and stuff. It just became even worse when they find out i work in the police station. Like it’s a good thing that there’s a police living nearby, even if he’s an old man close to retirement at that point,”

 

 _With a body like yours, i don’t think they care even if you are retired_ , Gabriel mused, leering over said body surreptitiously. Thankfully, Jack was too busy reminiscing to notice, “I think it was over a year ago that Winston moved in with Lena, and well, Hana and Lucio befriended her after meeting around a day or so, and well, here we are. Funny, isn’t it?”

 

Gabriel snorted, “Figures, they just never stopped coming and you never stopped them,”

 

“I don’t think i can even stop them coming even if i wanted to,”

 

“Good point,”

 

They laughed again, this time catching the attention of their conversation topic, who decided that their discussion is more important than trying to figure out what a couple of old men are talking about.

 

“Still,” Jack said after ending his peals of laughter, “I’m honestly thankful to them. If it hadn’t been for these kids, i’ll probably remain a recluse, just wallowing in self-pity and unpleasant memories. They always pulled me out of funk, distracted me with their presence alone,” he turned slightly, almost shyly, until his gaze met Gabriel’s, “And then, of course, you came into my life as well,”

 

Jack had said the last part in a near whisper, and as the children continues to argue and debate, they both chuckled lowly, shyly, like a pair of awkward teenagers in the face of newly blossomed romance. Jack was standing so closely, either consciously or not, Gabriel could feel the heat radiating off from him.

 

Well, Gabriel’s a simple man who had restricted himself out of too many simple pleasure, something that is no longer necessary in this new chapter of his life. He shifted the bags to one hand and extended his now weightless arm to the side, and circled them around Jack’s narrow waist. The gesture seems to startle the other man, who blinked and tensed briefly before relaxing against his lower and upper arm.

 

Jack’s hand wandered over to his own hip, where Gabriel had rested his hand, and intertwined their hands together. Gabriel could feel his face grew hot and his smile grew larger.

 

“If they are that important to you,” he said softly, almost a low mumble, “Then i guess i’m glad they like me too,”

 

When the kids finally made their decision and be on their way, Gabriel found his hand still clasped in Jack’s own, and he wouldn’t have it any other way.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Gabriel should’ve guessed it really, but in his defense, he hadn’t really expect much leaving his date to kids.

 

“Of course,” he said externally, as they approached a familiar view and a familiar sign, “The dog park,”

 

The dogs were obviously happy by this reveal, and by dogs, that would meant Genji and Jesse, both who immediately dashed away from the group, while Hanzo followed them in a more subdued pace. The children were close behind then, and as they leave, he caught Lena throwing a thumbs up to him.

 

What that even supposed to mean, he doesn’t want to know.

 

“Well, we are a little overdressed for this,” Jack said, clearly amused, “But there’s nothing wrong with repeating a habit,”

 

Gabriel grunted, lips pressed thin.

 

He supposed today could’ve gone worse, all things considered. After all, he had been absolutely clueless as to what to do, which is a lot worse than the kids’ plan - which apparently involves having him buy something for Jack and going to the park. Well, it hadn’t been all that bad, really.

 

When the trio of kids and dogs were far enough, Jack sidled close to him again, and with a secretive smile, slipped his hand to Gabriel’s.

 

Gabriel replied with his own little smile, and squeezed the hand as they entered the familiar park.

 

Oh yeah, it could’ve been infinitely worse.

 

 

* * *

 

 

“I am so sorry, they didn’t tell us it was a date,” Winston repeated for the nth time since he arrived, a sleepy Lena cradled on his massive chest, “Lena just told me if she can go with you and i thought you were just out walking the dogs,”

 

“It’s really fine, Winston, they’re a fun to be with,” Jack assured the burly scientist while helping him to adjust between Lena and her new gorilla doll.

 

Gabriel watched from his perch on Jack’s dinner table seat, a cup of coffee in hand as Winston apologized once more, this time looking over Jack’s shoulder to him. He raised his coffee up as an acknowledgement and agreement.

 

The end of the day had even been predictable; the children were tired, Hana even refusing to walk and had Jack carry her all the way home while Lucio leaned on to Gabriel and Lena sways once in a while. Even Genji, who was mostly carried throughout the day by his owner fell asleep, and ended up carried by Hanzo by the neck. Both dog and owner were picked up a while ago by their parents, who gave a similar apology to both Jack and Gabriel.

 

When Winston left, Jack huffed and slumped on the table right next to Gabriel. His vest was long gone, discarded on the sofa, which was now occupied by Jesse and Hanzo. The smaller dog once again wore Jesse’s serape, red cloth draped over grey-white fur, while Jesse leaned sleepily against the sofa’s backrest, the bronze plating on his collar glinting under the light.

 

Wait.

 

“When did Jesse had a collar on?”

 

And how hadn’t he noticed throughout the day. In fact, let’s add ‘why’ to the mix by asking ‘why did Jesse had Ana’s collar on when he’s pretty sure he didn’t put on any collar to anyone this morning’.

 

Jack lifted his head and turned towards the sofa, “Oh, that,” he mumbled, “He gave it to me this morning, while you were helping the kids with their shoes. I thought he wanted me to put it on him, because he looks so happy afterwards,”

 

That didn’t answer—

 

Wait, the serape.

 

Bastard must’ve hid it underneath the serape. That explains why he hadn’t been begging to wear it this morning like usual, he decided to get someone to put it on him, someone not Gabriel, who will definitely refuse.

 

Of course, he gone to ask Jack, who probably isn’t aware of what that collar was supposed to be and couldn’t say no to animals.

 

“ _Oh, te doy una hostia que te visto de torer, cabron,_ ” he fumed, even if deep down, he’s impressed. Outsmarted by his own damn dog. Granted, he was so distracted this morning he could barely think about anything else than his upcoming date, but still, to think that his dumb mutt got one up on him.

 

Jesse, obviously recognizing the language, peeked over and lolled his tongue briefly before Hanzo’s slight movement distracted him.

 

Jack lifted his head again, eyes frowned in confusion, “Sorry?”

 

Gabriel shook his head, sighing, “I felt so drained right now,”

 

“No kidding,” Jack laughed breathily, pillowing his head on his arm. He peeked over said arm as well, his eyes warm and playful, “But as far as i’m concerned, it was a pretty memorable first date,”

 

The veteran snorted, looking down at his reflection on the coffee’s surface, “Bet you never had a first date like that have you? With kids and dogs,”

 

“No, it’s usually the classic formula of diner and movies,” he admitted, “Of course, usually, i ended up not really liking the person i went to date with,”

 

“Heartbreaker,”

 

“No, it’s usually the other way around. Most of them thought i was too boring,”

 

“And i had enough excitement to last me several lifetime. I can see a bright future for us,”

 

Jack’s eyes crinkled with laughter, “I really do hope so,” he reached over tentatively, poking Gabriel’s hand that was holding the coffee cup. Said hand quickly put down it’s steaming commodity to hold said pale hand, grip it tightly before carrying it to Gabriel’s chapped lips. He pressed a kiss to each knuckle, his thumb gently caressing the skin.

 

Gabriel pressed one last kiss to the back of Jack’s limp hand, holding it long and relished on the shiver Jack didn’t quite manage to hide away, “Me too,” 

 

He wished the moment could last forever. Jack smiled toothily, looking so damn radiant and happy, if Gabriel had been a lesser man he wouldn’t be able to quell his own joy. As it were, he let Jack reached over and put the well kissed hand on his cheek, caressing the skin with the side of his pointer.

 

Yet, as much as he hated ruining the moment, the topic reminded him of something. Reluctantly, Gabriel disentangle himself from Jack, and reached underneath the table, “I got you something,” he told the white haired man, pulling the white box from the bookstore from its bag and putting it on the table, “No date’s complete without the gift-giving, right?”

 

Jack turned from surprised, to slightly miffed, “Gabe, you shouldn’t have. You already gave me those flowers this morning,”

 

Yeah, the flowers now prettily decorating the window, which apparently also hold an eerie dying message, “Flowers is not in the same category as a gift,”

 

“I don’t want you to spend so much money on me,” he pressed his lips thinly, before sighing and pulling the box to him, “Thank you, but really, Gabe, i’m fine without so many of them,”

 

Jack gingerly unboxed the item, as Gabriel held his coffee cup. It wasn’t that he’s nervous about Jack not liking his gift - out of everything he did in this so-called date, he’s actually pretty confident about this one - but he wondered if Jack really will be that annoyed should he started buying gifts for him. He actually liked giving things to Jack, makes it feel like he could spoil him. 

 

“Oh, Gabe,” Jack gasped, lifting the metal box out of the cardboard one and held it in front of him, “Oh, this is beautiful,”

 

Gabriel thought so too, which is why he bought it in the first place, “You mentioned that one of your aunt lost you grandmother’s heirloom set, and how you were sad about it since you wanted to have it for yourself once you grew up,” he explained, taking in the brightness in Jack’s eyes as he inspected the box full of fine bone china teapot, cups and the likes, beautifully decorated with splashes of gold, black and specks of red, “It’s not your grandmother’s but hey, it’s gotta be someone’s heirloom,”

 

In Gabriel’s honest opinion, nobody should look that happy being given an antique tea drinking set and yet he had the feeling if he wasn’t here now, Jack would probably start smooching every plate and cups. It is a rather endearing sight however, so he simply took another sip of his coffee, and if dinnerware kissing suddenly happened, well, he’ll just pretend he doesn’t know any better.

 

Finally, Jack put it the metal box down and pushed his chair back, “I have to put this in my kitchen right awa— Agh,”

 

“Jack!” 

 

When Jack suddenly grew slack and lurched forwards, years worth of training allowed Gabriel to catch him before he can actually fell. However, even with years worth of experience in dire situation doesn’t stop him from panicking over the situation, “What wrong? Are you hurt? Jack—“

 

“I’m fine, i’m fine,” the man in his hold mumbled, “It’s.. it’s my head,”

 

Gabriel heard that word too often, and nothing good every come from it, “Your head? Did you hurt your head? Hit something? Are you having a concussion?”

 

“Wha— No! No, Gabe,” Jack held on to his shoulder, gripping on to him weakly as he regain his footing, “It’s nothing like that. It’s just migraine. It got worse when i tried to stand up too fast,”

 

“Got worse? So you’ve been having them for a while now? Why didn’t you tell me?”

 

“It’s not a big deal, it didn’t even hurt that much. It’s because i didn’t wear my shades, that’s all.” he gestured to his eyes, motioning to the usually covered area and to the scar right between them, “They kind of protected my eyes from excess light, since i have photophobia from a head trauma. The one that caused this scar. Without them, i got headaches, especially from the sunlight,”

 

The day had been perfectly bright, and they had stayed outdoor most of said daylight. Gabriel gritted his teeth, “Then why did you leave without putting them on? You could seriously injured your eyes, Jack!”

 

This time, Jack looked properly chastised, like how the kids were whenever he scold them, “I thought it’ll be okay once in a while. Besides, i always looks… goofy with them on. And you’ve gone so far to look nice for today, i didn’t want to look like i wasn’t putting some effort in for today as well,”

 

“ _Tonto,_ i don’t care if you have to wear your underpants on the outside, if it’s crucial for your health, i want you to wear them, no matter how stupid it looks,” 

 

Jack lifted his head, laughing a little, only, by lifting his head, he left little to no distance between his face and Gabriel’s. Jack’s eyes, orbs blue-grey and the sclera rather pink on the edges were staring directly at Gabriel’s own dark brown ones. Even their breath were so close, Gabriel feeling hot puffs of breath on his face, his own coffee infused one intermingling with the faint sweet smell from the bubblegum Jack was given by Lucio in the park.

 

He even taste like bubblegum too, something Gabriel discovered as he dove down and pressed an open mouthed kiss to Jack’s willing lips.

 

The body against his shuddered at his ministration, and oh, god, how long has it been since Gabriel kissed anyone? He didn’t even remember if he had been skilled on it or not, if his last partner has any complaints, but Jack evidently didn’t because the hands on his shoulder started gripping tightly, pulling him closer, trapping him. As if Gabriel wanted to be anywhere else right now.

 

Jack tasted sweet, spicy and so damn, damn good. He tilted his head at the right time and angle, moaned softly whenever Gabriel caressed his side or held onto his hips, and he had little reservations about having Gabriel’s tongue exploring his mouth. He is incredibly intoxicating, responsive and oh, that moan will haunt his dreams.

 

He could feel Jack’s hand wandering from his shoulder up to his hair, tilting the beanie to the side of his head. The same strong hand started tugging on his curly locks, faltering slightly at a particularly hard nip Gabriel gave his lips that leave him groaning and Gabriel smirking victoriously. Jack’s hand started carding through his hair, scratching the scalp with dull fingernails and Gabriel enjoyed it so much he hummed in pleasure.

 

The corner of their lips is wet with saliva, and Jack started to pant a little, obviously close to being out breath, but Gabriel couldn’t have enough. He didn’t want to let go of the hip under his hand, to the heaving back, not the hand in his hair and the nails clawing gently on his shoulder. 

 

“Gabe,” Jack moaned, breathy and warm against his skin, “I… I can’t breathe,”

 

“Sorry,” Gabriel replied, equally breathless. He let Jack regain his air, but he held the other man in his embrace. Jack, for his part, doesn’t seem to mind, even encouraging it by pressing onto him even closer and latching on to him.

 

In the middle of silence, Jack chuckled, “What’s so funny?” Gabriel asked, relishing on the weight and heat against him.

 

“It’s just,” Jack trailed off, and Gabriel could almost see the smile on his face as he continued, “I don’t know if it’s even correct, but— oh, _por fin, mierda_ ,”

 

Gabriel was sure his cackling can be heard by every resident in the building.

 

 

* * *

 

 

In the middle of his sleep, Gabriel could faintly hear his phone ringing, and immediately deduced that it was Ana. He let it ring, feeling Jesse’s light snoring and scuffling behind him, until the tune stopped and a beep sounded and his recorded voice filled the silence of the night.

 

‘Hey, Ana. Sorry, but call again tomorrow night. I have a big day planned to make up for today, and i need all the rest i need for tonight. Yes, i’ll tell you everything later’

 

The beep sounded again and he could hear Ana’s voice received by the machine, full of curiousity and berating him for keeping a secret from her. Gabriel grinned mischievously, slammed a second pillow on top of his head before drifting back to sleep.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ya basta - Enough Already  
> te doy una hostia que te visto de torer - i’ll give you a slap that will dress you as a bullfighter. essentially means they’ll slap you real hard  
> por fin, mierda: at last/finally. I kinda look for ‘fucking finally’ and this is the closest one i can think off.
> 
> -
> 
> I can't believe that phrase is an actual phrase. Can someone just please fill me in as to why that's a saying in spanish speaking countries.
> 
> I mean, even my language got its own silly phrases, but still.
> 
> Anyway, thanks for reading!


	8. Rain, Rain, Go Away

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It was raining. In retrospect, he should've known that it was a bad omen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I AM SO SORRY!!!!!!!!
> 
> I'll use a lot of excuse: Problem at work, finals, christmas preparations, family problems, health problems all bunch a other problems but all in all i'm sorry i haven't updated in a long time!!!

 

The day after their first date will forever be what Gabriel dub their actual first date.

 

It was just the two of them and actually just them; Bastion, who apparently overheard what happened from Mr. Santos, offered to take in Hanzo and Jesse for the whole day in his pet store, and the children had school. Jack had been reluctant to leave Hanzo alone, but they trust Bastion, and Hanzo had willingly comes along with Bastion, prompting Jesse to come as well.

 

They started simple: breakfast. Small hole in a wall place that Jack said he always wanted to try, followed by an unarticulated agreement that considering they’re alone anyway, they might as well take an extra mile and go somewhere away from the familiar block. They took the train to the main city centre, which on retrospect was nowhere near romantic considering the crowd, but they just wanted to spend time together it didn’t even matter.

 

Their walks has always been full of conversation, but when your attention was fully focused on one person, it’s like you can reach an entirely new level of closeness and exposure of each other. Gabriel walks through the metropolitan district with the lull of crowd on one ear, and Jack happily chattering about the difference between the suburbs, a metropolitan city and the farmlands on the other. He was never a big conversationalist, while Jack seems like he’s exploding with the chance to talk as much as he can with someone actually listening to him. 

 

It was nothing big. Simple, almost domestic. 

 

It was beyond perfect.

 

It ended too soon for Gabriel’s liking, but he supposed all good things does come to an end. They had dinner - where Jack successfully tricked him and paid for them - before coming back to Jack’s apartment, and Bastion was already waiting for them in front of Jack’s door, a yellow silk cloth tied loosely around Hanzo’s neck while Jesse looks cleaner than Gabriel ever saw him. When Bastion was gone - after wheedling a promise out of them to lend him their dogs again one day - they were left alone with the dogs, and nothing stops Gabriel from leaning down and pressing a kiss to Jack’s lips.

 

If Lucio, who lived right next door to Jack, came out of his apartment right at that moment to see them in that position and squealed loud enough for everyone on the floor to know what happened, well, that didn’t put a single damper in Gabriel’s mood.

 

Of course, it doesn’t mean that everyday was a date. After that, they resumed their usual meet for dog walks, occasionally bringing the trio with them, but the only difference now is that there is nothing actually stopping Gabriel from looping his hand over Jack’s in broad daylight, and sneaking kisses behind the children’s back was incredibly fun.

 

It was pure bliss ever since.

 

Then the wind of shift arrived, quietly, evidently, unexpectedly.

 

The day hadn’t started well, but it was less of an unpleasant event and more of an expected mild annoyance. Gabriel had forgotten about Ana and his promise to ‘spill the beans’, and the woman is nothing but relentless. She rang right before he could fit in to his old blazer, another prize unearthed from the very depth of his closet, and in the midst of confusion, he forgot to find his shoes.

 

“Woman, if i told you once, i told you plenty of times already!” he almost shouted to the phone, cursing at something he originally perceived as a hole on the blazer only to find that it was an old stain of sort. Preliminary checking told him that at the very least, it wasn’t any sort of old bodily fluid, “I’m on my way out! I’ll call you tonight,”

 

“Gabriel Reyes, you’ve been saying that for over 2 weeks now and i demand answers now! Where have you been and what have you been doing?”

 

For once, Jesse was patiently waiting instead of bothering and urging him to hurry - probably sensing that the person Gabriel’s talking to was doing enough for the two of them - sitting on the sofa while staring at the television. On the screen, the morning news reporters were delivering a report about an anniversary of a 20 years old incident somewhere in the capital city, a live footage of major area displayed behind him.

 

_‘… tomorrow to commemorating the death of nearly 200 people, in which 75 of them were law personnels, in an armed heist gone wrong. This event will be done by the armed forces in order to pay their respect to their brave comrades, in what could be counted as the most monumental tragedy to ever strike the…’_

 

“You’re not my mother, Ana! I swear, i’ll call you tonight!” The clock on top of the TV told him that he had to leave in less than 15 minutes if he wanted to be on time to get to Jack’s place. The white haired man had mentioned he has been craving pizza for a while now, and it took Gabriel days to determine which pizzeria was the best around the area. He even placed in a booking in advanced after being warned by some website that the place was so crowded a 10 minutes tardiness will result in losing your reservation. Considering that he and Jack were planning to go to some hardware store to fix Jack’s faulty plumbing as well, the sooner they finish it and arrive at his reservation the better.

 

Gabriel groaned after he finished his train of thought. God, this is what his life has devolved to. Planning outings and fixing plumbings and restaurant reservations, all through the course of one day. He hadn’t been this organized when he was in the military, where order and organizations are important.

 

Well, it’s not like he didn’t have a good reason for it. Jack has been looking rather downtrodden for the past 3 days, and mentioning his pizza craving had been the only time he looked remotely as cheerful as usual. Gabriel didn’t really want to ask the reason behind the sudden gloominess - he made the offer already, and he trusted that when Jack is good and ready, he’ll take him up on it - but that doesn’t mean he’s not trying to fix whatever it is.

 

He’s just trying to be a good boyf—lov—part—we-haven’t-talk-about-status-yet-but-we’re-something for Jack. And that is one of the reason why he had to rush today, from both time constraint and his own impatience.

 

On the other side of the phone, Ana sniffed indignantly, “Alright, i’ll give you until tonight,” she announced, “But i swear to god, Gabriel, if you didn’t answer my call again tonight, i will drag Reinhardt with me and drive down there to meet you in person,”

 

Once his left foot is correctly inserted into his left shoes, Gabriel picked up the remote, fiddling with it as he used the same hand to make sure all of his blazer buttons were in the correct hole, “Yeah, yeah, do whatever you want,” after a second checking, he was satisfied, and made his way to the cordless phone’s stand, “I have to go, Ana. I’ll talk to you tonight,”

 

Ana hadn’t even finished her farewell - that most likely was not a farewell but a reprimanding and reminder for the nth time to call her - before Gabriel had the phone back down it the stand. Damn, he’ll pay that dearly tonight. 

 

The phone’s click made Jesse look up from the sofa and quickly trotted away to his side, tongue lolling and low cough as if to remind him that he should be leaving now, “Yeah, we should be out by now,” he told the large canine, making his way near the sofa, “Wait by the door, _chico,_ i’ll turn off the TV. Careful with the shoes! I shined them all night!”

 

The same news seems to be going on, this time while an on-site reporter was detailing the situation to interested audiences. Behind her was dilapidated building that was sealed away from public viewing, crowded by uniformed policemen, _“…As you can see here behind me, the policemen and armed forces are preparing for tomorrow’s vigil, and tomorrow, the interior would only be open for law enforcement and the victims’ families. We will be reminded of the bravery of these fallen officers 20 years ago in what is known as the most deadly…”_

 

“20 years,” Gabriel mumbled to himself, as he turned the TV off and placed the remote back to the sofa, “That’s a long time to keep on mourning,”

 

Then again, what does he know? When’s the last time he mourned for something?

 

He left the house without another word, Jesse hot on his heels.

 

* * *

 

The sky was tinted grey by the time Gabriel reached Jack’s apartment block, and he wasn’t alone in his hurry to quickly reach the closest shelter. People around him were either rushing or fumbling with their respective umbrellas. A small cat was loitering around a small alley, curling underneath a tilted old trashcan. 

 

The first drop made a dark circular indentation on Gabriel’s jacket sleeve, the exact moment he entered Jack’s apartment building.

 

The latino man made his way towards the long since familiar stairs, Jesse shaking droplets of water off his fur and causing Jamison to squawk somewhere around the reception desk’s direction about how he would have to be the one to clean that up later. He quickly gave an apology before rushing upstairs, barely managing to catch Mako’s muffled reply of how he was usually the one who cleans, not Jamison.

 

In the back of his head, he knew it’s a little bit impolite, and perhaps later that day, he should make it up to the two men. Gabriel pushed it to the back of his worries when he reached Jack’s floor, a large grin on his face and eager bounce on his every step. 

 

In front of Jack’s door, he knocked, pocketed his hand, and waited.

 

And waited.

 

He heard the grey sky beginning to open, pouring down mild drizzle to the ground. The door in front of him remains closed.

 

Gabriel knocked again.

 

Jesse began sniffing around the wooden door’s frame, tail drooped and small whines escaping the dog’s throat. 

 

Gabriel gave the door another knock, longer, louder, “Jack?” he called, tilting his head closer to the door almost at the same time as Jesse did his snout, “It’s me,”

 

He couldn’t hear anything else from the inside. Not even a footstep, no shuffling, no indication that there's anyone inside. The only thing he could distinctively hear was the static and garbled voices, possibly a television. Either Jack is inside and couldn’t hear him, or he’s away, probably running an errand he planned to do before Gabriel arrived and was slowed by the rain. It happened before, there’s no reason it couldn’t have happened again.

 

All of the sudden, Jesse’s ear perked up, and soon after, he could hear the unmistakable sound of padded footsteps approaching the door. It was slow, almost hesitant, and he could tell that at some point it stopped just a few inches away from the door. Gabriel waited, listening.

 

“Gabe?”

 

His name was said in a meek, almost afraid tone, and it just cemented his fear that something was wrong. The ex-commander licked his lower lips, pressing his palm flat against the door’s surface, “Yeah,” he replied, eyes flickering between the floor and Jesse’s wagging tail, “You okay?”

 

The man behind the door didn’t reply. 

 

From the other side of the door, Gabriel could hear something else: The pitter patter of feet, smaller than human, and had more than 2 legs. Hanzo. Next to him, Jesse whined against the door, scratching it with his claws and tapping his snout against the door as if it’ll make the barrier between him and the smaller dog disappear. The door was still there, albeit sporting some claw marks from Jesse’s effort.

 

“Jack?”

 

There was no answer. Jack has gone quiet once more. 

 

This close to the door, Gabriel could make out the sound of a canine whine, almost similar to Jesse’s own, along with small puttering sound just behind the door. Said dog was now barking next to him, doubling his effort to tear down the wooden door to no avail, “Jack, what’s wrong? What happened? Jack?”

 

The foot pattering moved away from the door. He could almost picture it just from the sound: Hanzo walking back and forth, alternating between the door and wherever Jack was, probably confused as to why the door was not opened when there’s a guest. Jesse started barking, probably copying his effort to call out the owner(s) of this unit. 

 

Gabriel wished he would stop, because he could hear Jack saying something in an even lower volume - probably not even for him to hear - and he might have a good hearing but he’s not that good and he hated it. He knocks again, harder this time to convey his impatience, “Jack,”

 

“I’m sorry, I know it’s rude of me to ask you this when you’ve gone through the trouble of coming here today,” the tan skinned man barely got the name out of his mouth when Jack spoke again behind the door, his voice much more distant, as if he had moved away, further from the door, “But, can you please leave for today?”

 

* * *

 

“Mr. Reyes, mate, ya ain’t seriously thinkin’ of goin’ out in that kind of weather, are ya?”

 

It wasn’t until Jamison mentioned it that Gabriel actually looked up from his feet to see that the light drizzle had turned to quite a heavy downpour, painting the air with thin mist and thick water curtains. The roads were empty, and the usually opened lobby door was now half closed in order to keep the water away. 

 

The sound was deafening, how could he had missed it?

 

“Mr. Reyes?”

 

He gave the blonde Australian a bereft glance. 

 

Gabriel stepped out to the rain, Jesse faithfully stepping right behind him, both master and canine ignoring the confused and panicked calling from the apartment’s technician.

 

* * *

 

There was barely anyone around, which is understandable. The rain had gone lighter a few minutes after he left Jack’s apartment, but it still has a long way to go from being a mere drizzle. The roads were empty save for some rushing cars, and most of the shops that usually had their doors open were shut, employees peeking out to the stormy outside sky.

 

Gabriel had noticed their sympathetic looks, and he remembered one kind lady who tried to invite him to her shop. Probably thinking he was a homeless man who couldn’t find a decent shelter. Gabriel declined, barely have any energy to politely smile as he kept on walking. He probably should go home, of only just to change out of his wet clothing, but he didn’t want to. He’s usually not home around this time. At least, not since he met Jack.

 

He didn’t want to think about how lonely it used to be, and how lonely it would be today if he come home so soon.

 

Next to him, Jesse was shivering slightly, but his loyal pet didn’t stop for a moment to follow him. He wasn’t bounding with energy anymore, unlike how he had been during their trip here, and the way his wet fur seems to melt down completed the pathetic display. Gabriel supposed he probably didn’t look any better.

 

He kept on walking, turning and following a familiar route, and before he knew it, he stopped in front of a familiar sign, and sighed before walking on the familiar stone path.

 

Gloomy. That was probably the closest word he could use to describe the desolate park.

 

He’s back in the dog park, because of course he would somehow ended up in the dog park, and he sat down on the first empty - out of the many empty - benches he found. It was wet, and puddles of water were formed on the seat but then again he’s already drenched so what’s the point of worrying?

 

Jesse sniffed the wooden seat, before he rested his canine jaw right next to Gabriel’s thigh and whined pitifully. 

 

Gabriel looked down to him from the hem of his beanie, “Same,” was all he said to the dog, tweaking the corner of Jesse’s droopy ear.

 

The rain kept on falling, unforgiving, relentless, until it didn’t. By the time the water stop falling, the sky was dark, even darker than the grey that has been covering the usually bright sky, and the lights along the park were turned on automatically, signalling that it’s late. There’s still not a hint of soul, other than Gabriel and Jesse, sitting on the still damp bench, both supporting damp clothing and damp fur.

 

Hours must’ve passed.

 

* * *

 

When he arrived home, the neighbouring houses were dark, and the clock on top of his TV told him it was later than usual. 

 

He took off all of his wet clothes in the bathroom, not caring when Jesse decided to wander in midst shower when he usually locked the door and ushered the dog out. Gabriel felt tired, too tired to even see what sort of ensemble he has chosen for himself, before making his way to the living room and plopped down on his sofa and turned the TV on.

 

There’s news all over the usual channels - all of them about the same incident he saw this morning, he noted, the memorial thing - so he skipped them and settled to the first channel that wasn’t. It was a decade old gameshow he remembered watching back in the barracks with some of the younger cadets, in their boredom while waiting for a dispatch order. The antique host said something that roused laughter out of the audience, but every word was lost of Gabriel as he slumped over, eyes heavy and only barely registering Jesse jumping on the sofa next to him.

 

Gabriel Reyes fell asleep in the midst of studio laughter, and for once in a long time, he wasn’t looking forward to waking up.

 

* * *

 

When he woke up, his eyelids were heavy, the sky was still dark, and it took him a while to realize that the thing that stopped his uneasy REM sleep was the flicking on his arm. The latino frowned at the disturbance, a reprimand to Jesse ready on the tip of his tongues when he registered the almost violent knocking on his door. 

 

Gabriel looked at the clock on top of his television. 4 A.M.

 

“Who the fuck—“ the words trailed off in exhaustion, as he dragged himself out of the sofa lethargically. Who the hell would come in this early? Not even newspapers were delivered this early. He didn’t even have a newspaper subscription.

 

The sole of his foot was dragging on the floor, a very unbecoming posture that he would usually slap someone’s back and had them doing push ups if he ever caught one of his men slouching and dragging like this, but Gabriel could care less. The door was knocked again, harder, louder, “Yeah, yeah, hold your horses,” he announced, quickening his pace by just a fraction in irritation.

 

The knocking didn’t cease, however, as if the person was ignoring him or couldn’t hear it. The latino man sneered as he yanked the doorknob open.

 

“Do you know what time this is, _hijo de put—AAAAA_!”

 

Before he knew it, Gabriel found himself flat on his back on the floor, dazed and confused, with pain searing from his jaw. He didn’t even manage to look at his assailant when a foot was suddenly slammed on to his chest, causing him to choke and almost miss the hulking figure covering most of his entrance door. No, Gabriel was too entranced by the sight of the boot between his chest and stomach, along with the person attached to it, white braided hair dangling down from the side of her shoulder.

 

Ana Amari was smiling on top of him. It was a terrifying smile.

 

“I told you i’ll come if you ignore my calls,”

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it's a bit short but i'll update as soon as possible! I won't be able to update soon considering an upcoming family reunion, so i'm trying to make up for lost time by updating as much as i can! Thanks for being so patient!
> 
> P.s: I wanna find a way to quickly weave Sombra and Emily in because i love them omg!!!


	9. Stay With Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Today will eventually become a yesterday.
> 
> But just because today will pass, doesn’t mean today’s problems will pass along with it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title ripped from an old song 'Prisoner of Love' by Utada Hikaru because i love to walk down the memory lane. Also, it's kinda relevant.

 

_Evacuate everyone! The building’s gonna blow!_

 

_Oh god, oh god, the fire’s blocked the rest of the fourth floor!_

 

_Delta team, copy! Copy! Delta! Grayson, where are you?!_

 

_There’s still people trapped inside! Take care of them, capt’, i’ll look for the rest!_

 

_We’re trapped, captain! I-i can’t—_

 

_Mommy! Where’s my mommy?!_

 

_It’s hopeless, Captain! Run! Go save yourself!_

 

_I’m not leaving—_

 

_Get out! Quickly!_

 

_Captain Morrison!_

 

The first thing that woke him up had been the horrible noise, somewhere close, too close for comfort and too inhumane to recognize. Everything around him was blurred and dazed, nothing but object clouded with fog, and there is a distracting pain all around him that Jack finally pinned down as his body involuntarily shivering.

 

He heard a bark, too far and muffled, before he could even register that the horrible noise had come from him.

 

“Hanzo, Hanzo,” the blur that suddenly opened his bedroom door and launched itself at him only caught him off guard for a moment, and Jack found himself slowly relaxing as he tried to fend off Hanzo’s persistent licking and head-butting, “Don’t worry, i’m fine, i’m fine,” 

 

Hanzo didn’t let up for another minute or so, until Jack had his arms around furry shoulders tightly and held on. He could still feel little licks being sent to his back and nape, concerned little yips making him smile despite himself. His beloved dog had grown so big, it made him miss the times where he could carry Hanzo with one arm on his shoulder as a puppy.

 

Outside of his window, the rain hadn’t let up, but at least it wasn’t as heavy as it had been in yesterday. Right now, the streets mostly contained light puddles, surface disturbed by the incoming onslaught from the sky. Any other time, Jack loved it, revelling in the almost meditative and calming sound the rain brought as he continued on living in this solitary existence he brought to himself.

 

This time, he wished it would just stop.

 

Next to him, curled almost impossibly close, Hanzo’s body was a small heater on its own. It brings him some comfort, as he ran his hand through dark grey patches of fur, feeling the gentle rising and lowering as his loyal companion dozed. He pulled the dog even closer, careful not to jostle Hanzo too much. 

 

He failed it seems, when Hanzo looked up and peered deeply to his eyes, canine meets man. Jack smiled weakly, pressing his head even deeper against his pillow as he ran his hand along Hanzo’s torso.

 

He received a small lick on his hand in return.

 

-

 

Once upon a time, in the depths of the intricate webbing that is the espionage and military world lies the legend of the sniper. Not _a_ sniper, they would insist, _the_ sniper. Rumoured to be the best shot since the cold war records, this person - if it was even a person at all - were responsible for every major assassination, every shot that ended some dictator’s life and the source of every bullet that ended the light behind some criminal’s eyes.

 

Well, it was kind of an exaggeration of course. It was, indeed, a person responsible for those kills.

 

Everything else were either correct or simply not scratching the surface of the truth.

 

Gabriel saw that legend unfolding before his very eyes, right from the beginning of his military career. He watched as that young Egyptian woman, one of the few women who can keep up in the testosterone filled world, before she advanced beyond everyone else and become one of the best personnel they had. One of the very few people Gabriel could ever say he had the honour of serving with, and one of the few living people he could still honestly call a friend.

 

Not that she’s being very friendly right now.

 

For the last few minutes, Gabriel had been jealously watching Reinhardt playing with Jesse on his sofa, ruffling the dog’s mane and letting Jesse lightly bite his free hand. The two of them barely paid any attention to the kitchen, where he and Ana resides, completely out of his free will. He must’ve looked pathetic, half sleepy half glaring while gripping on a half empty glass of water, all the while trying his best not to look at the figure right across the table, tinkering with something in his sparse pantry.

 

Beyond the window, the sun was starting to rise, giving the sky a warm gradient of red and yellow.

 

Another glass was placed in front of him, a faint scent of black tea accompanying it almost altogether. Gabriel didn’t look away from Reinhardt and Jesse’s little game.

 

“Now,” he heard, and the latino man hid his scowl by lowering his head to his stretched forearm, “How have you been, Gabe?”

 

“Fine,” he gruffly replied, narrowing his eyes slightly when he saw that Reinhardt got a good look at Jesse’s new collar. The giant of a man smiled in amusement. Gabe scowled even further, “Would’ve been better if i wasn’t woken up at 4 in the morning,”

 

Ana huffed, “I saw your sofa, i didn’t wake you up,”

 

He was, in fact, asleep. It wasn’t an entirely comfortable one, but he had been asleep.

 

Though, he supposed it made little difference.

 

His silence must’ve dragged long enough that Ana took it as his silent and reluctant agreement. She continued, taking a little sip from her - his - mug, “So, what have you been up to? So much fun you’ve been ignoring your old friend?” from the corner of his peripheral vision, he could see the woman’s lithe finger, pointing to the living room, “I see you took Jesse to a grooming shop recently. I’m glad to see you took care of him well,”

 

“How do you know i didn’t bathe him myself?”

 

Ana gave him a look. Like he’s supposed to understand what she meant with just that one look. Gabriel hated that he did understand, “I didn’t take him anywhere, it was Bastion’s work - he had a pet store a few blocks away,”

 

“Bastion?”

 

“Yeah, a few days ago. He offered when he heard i’m taking—“

 

Gabriel trailed off, mouth closing. He could see Ana tilting her head, not quite vocally prompting him to continue but obviously curious with what he had to say. 

 

“Taking…?”

 

“Taking—,” he sighed audibly, running a hand through his short curls, “Taking Jack out. On a. Well,” Gabriel pursed his lips, sighing again, as if every word are a mighty burden on their own, “Date. I was taking Jack out on a date and he took in Jesse and Hanzo - Jack’s dog, that is - to his store. Apparently to get some cleaning and shit. I don’t know,”

 

He could see Ana’s freezing in the middle of lifting her mug up, and for some reason, the fact that he just caught her off guard didn’t make him feel as triumphant as he ought to be. Maybe if his state of mind had been less muddled than this. 

 

She puts the mug down again, eyes widened by a fraction as she spoke, “Well! Why didn’t you tell me?” the beginning of a smile had started to bloom before it suddenly disappeared again, “So, what happened?” she twirled her hand by her wrist, motioning vaguely, “Did it— Did you and Jack—?”

 

“It was fine,” it had been more than fine. They had a hell of a good time. He had a hell of a good time, “It was nice. Jack and i, we were fine,”

 

He heard instead of saw Ana moved closer, hearing the shift of her clothes and the minuscule movement of the chair she sat on, “ _Were,_ Gabe?”

 

Trust her not to let something like that slip by.

 

“It wasn’t like that. It’s got nothing to do with me. With us,” At least, he hoped so. He didn’t actually stick around long enough to find out, “He’s, uh, probably going through something right now. Personal shit,”

 

Ana moved again. This time, he looked up, and saw that she was leaning closer to him. Her eyes are hooded, thoughtful and her hands tented over her lips that caused her voice to be muffled when she spoke, “ _Probably_? That’s an oddly vague answer coming from you, Gabe,”

 

“Well it’s not like i’m going to sit him down on his dining room and demand to know what’s going on, okay? This isn’t the platoon anymore, you drilled those words enough for them to make an indent in my skull now,”

 

The words came out more spiteful than he meant it to be. Gabriel knows he could depend on his and Ana’s long history of friendship for her not to take it personally, and he wished he could depend on that same history for her to know not to push the line of questioning. Instead, he took a sip out of his glass, pointedly looking at the slowly rising sun outside of the window instead of anywhere near his ex-comrades.

 

* * *

 

There was supposed to be a clock on his bedside table, but Hanzo’s bulk covered it from his sight, and to be honest, Jack was glad. Even the sky outside was mostly obstructed by the greying sky, making it hard to tell just how late or early it is. He didn’t want to know how long he had been laying there on his bed, body heavy from nothing else but an imaginary weight and mind racing too fast for even himself to comprehend. Curling his body even further, he was just glad that he was all alone, in the safety of his own home, where he wouldn’t be judged for this moment of weakness and the utterly ridiculous sight of an old man in a foetal position as if it would protect him from the world.

 

Jack didn’t even realize there were tears on his eyes until he felt damp tongue on his cheek, licking a trail from his cheek to his jaw, gently, almost motherly.

 

By the time he decided he was ready to face the world - at least, the part of the world the rest of his apartment represents - the sky outside was still cloudy, the roads were filled with puddles and Jack’s bones creaked like rusted door hinges. Just a few facts of life that seems determined to hammer it to his skull that he was no longer a spry young man.

 

Everything looks so bleak, he thought to himself as he puttered about in the kitchen, the same time as a semblance of normalcy began to crept to his soul. The kettle over the stove is bubbling, steam pouring out steadily from the nozzle. Sitting patiently on a starchy rug, Hanzo settled with watching him patiently as Jack refilled the doggy bowls with kibbles and fresh water. It all felt like something out of a usual morning, a daily habit, done like nothing was wrong in the world.

 

Minutes later, the murky clearness of chamomile tea allowed him to be able to peer to the pattern along his new china set, and Jack was pretty sure he had traced every intricate golden line that runs on the surface of the ceramic. His own reflection was looking up at him, tired eyes that stared into nothingness, the wrinkles that just seems to add themselves unknowingly, and just the little details that makes up the image of utter sorry display he made right now.

 

Neglecting to raise any of his curtains made it impossible for the sunlight to pierce into his apartment, but Jack can tell that it was already early in the morning, an appropriate time for the city and its citizen to wake up. Usually he’d be up with them, but he was already up for hours now, in body at the very least if not mentally.

 

A small yawn made him peek underneath the table, finding a lazily swishing tail that lead up to a furry greyish body near his foot. A few feet away from them, Hanzo’s newly replenished bowl was once again empty, leaving only stains and traces of dried dog food, along with splashes of water from the water bowl right next to it. He should pour in more, at least, the thought of doing so crossed his mind for a moment before he dismissed it. He didn’t really feel like moving, and Hanzo didn’t seem to be all that hungry.

 

If it was another normal morning, Jack would soon drink his beverage of choice for the day, his mind running through his collection of clothing to decide on what to wear. If today had been just another day, he would turn on the television to catch the morning weather report, before taking a bath and trying to find the ensemble he had mentally decided on minutes ago. If everything was alright in the world, Jack would be ready, cheery and expectant, for the doorbell to ring, which then he would wear his biggest smile as he sauntered the sound of a man and a dog bickering before his door.

 

If Jack’s life had been perfect, if he wasn’t a pathetic man dwelling on a long forgotten past, he wouldn’t have continued to return back to square one like this, slowly but surely destroying everything else in his life.

 

He felt more tears leaving his eyes, his sight blurred.

 

The small, sorrowful whines Hanzo gave him as a reply sounded like a consolation.

 

* * *

 

The house was decidedly a lot more empty once Ana and Reinhardt left, hunting down the nearest grocery chain store to presumably find equipments to scrub down Gabriel’s entire house. He told them he had enough stuff around as it is, but Ana was insistent, telling him that he didn’t have the right sort of product or type of broom to clean some minuscule dirt somewhere. 

 

Past Gabriel wouldn’t have cared less, but this Gabriel had spent so much time around Jack and the neighbourhood wives around Jack’s apartment to know every sacred ritual one needed to perform to make your floor and walls spotless that housewives just seems to know.

 

Which means Gabriel also know that Ana’s every reasons were bullshit. 

 

Whatever. 

 

Putting away a newly cleaned cup, the latino man whistled as he bent down to the lower cupboard, pulling out a large, industrial size dog food bag and made his way to Jesse’s bowls. 

 

Jesse seems a lot more perky, like he always did whenever Ana and Reinhardt visits. In his mouth, he carried Hanzo’s toy, the blue velvet now visibly a lot more worn and bitten through than it had been when it first arrived in this house. So, his dog is a slob even in dogs’ standard. Like master, like dog, he supposed. 

 

As Jesse began to chow through his lunch, Gabriel turned his attention to the doll, visibly cringing at the wetness on the surface. At least, aside from the excessive wetness, there was little to no tear or damage to the doll, “I’ll have Ana wash this thing as well, since she’s so hellbent in cleaning,”

 

When his finger grazed over an odd stitching mark on the belly of the dragon doll, he turned it over only to find a letter H stitched rather skewedly on the middle, as it was someone’s hit and miss try in making the doll personal rather than it coming from a store. Remembering Hanzo’s small bedroom, Gabriel really shouldn’t have put it pass Jack to actually monogramed his dog’s doll, but it both caught him off guard and made him chuckle a little. 

 

As soon as the bubbly little sound left his lips, however, a frown quickly replaced the smile, and Gabriel sighed heavily. 

 

On the floor, Jesse looked up to him with a sad expression, the corners of his jaw downturned. He was staring more to the doll than to Gabriel, the human pair of the two realize, and know that he’s not the only one who’s disappointed.

 

“I know,” the man reached down to pet the dog’s head, “I miss them too,” he reached even lower to scratch the underneath of Jesse’s jaw when suddenly he slinked away from under Gabriel’s hand and rushed over to the living room in a blur of black and brown. Gabriel watched him go with a sigh, giving the doll another cursory look before making his way to his bedroom to pick up some dirty laundry

 

He didn’t get to go far, when on his way out of the living room, Jesse stopped him with a bark, and bumped to his leg repeatedly and forcefully, “Slow down! Slow down, _chico!_ Whats gotten into you?”

 

In his mouth - full of slobber, Gabriel noted with disgust - is his cordless phone, the one he placed right next to his sofa ever since he realized Ana’s unfortunate habit of calling him in the middle of a good telenovela rerun. The small ID reader under the receiver was glowing, showing digital words prompting him to enter a phone number.

 

“What are you doing to my phone?” he asked, genuinely confused when Jesse dropped it directly on top of his foot and pushed at it with his snout, “You want me to call someone?”

 

Jesse barks. As usual, it did little to help Gabriel understand.

 

“What do you want me to do?”

 

Jesse barks again, louder, with a small growl to end it as if he was getting irritated by his owner’s inability to understand.  

 

Gabriel raised his shoulders, “What? I don’t get it, what do you want me to do?” Jesse never was one for demands, often just following along with what he wanted to do, and that’s what makes him an ideal companion for Gabriel. He never had to guess what his dog wanted, so this sudden forceful behaviour is a little—

 

Suddenly, Jesse stood up on his hind legs, and yanked the dragon doll out of Gabriel’s hand.

 

Oh.

 

Oh, that’s what he wanted.

 

Sighing, Gabriel picked the - evidently rather wet - phone up, “I don’t know, Jesse,” he told his dog, pursing his lips, “He… he probably didn’t want to be disturbed just yet. I mean, it’s just been a day, i doubt whatever’s eating him is gone by now,”

 

His answer is clearly unsatisfactory; Jesse lost his aggression and hunched down, the doll laying on the floor in between his front legs. It was a sad sight, but Gabriel didn’t think he looked any better staring depressingly at the phone in his hand. What was he supposed to do? He usually tackled matters heads on, but this isn’t something he can just roughly shove his way through. 

 

As if there’s all of these laser beam alarms all around his and Jack’s relationship and the last thing he wanted to do was to trip over them. Usually, it was easy to see where they are and he avoided them by following a pattern that is their routine, and he knew what sort of steps to take in order to avoid even accidentally getting any of them.

 

But this? this is him running blind. This is him without any sort of high end gear and for all he knew the next laser was somewhere on the left of his foot, which will trigger a booby trap and the next thing he knew, he’d be staring down on some newfangled security system which will cause—

 

No. No, stay focused. He had to stay focused. 

 

Maybe Jesse’s right. He was just concerned, so a phone call should be the bare minimum he could do. Logically, one call wouldn’t change anything. Jack is not the kind of person to be mad at someone because of one mistake, so there is little possibility he’d just.. sever their ties just because of a call, right? Right. He knew Jack better than that.

 

Right?

 

Then again, he didn’t know Jack, always sunny Jack, could shut him off like this.

 

Entirely new territory, and right now, there is no pushy dog owner or children anywhere that prompted and guided him to take the next step. 

 

So.

 

Dare he take the risk?

 

…

 

God, the last time he was this indecisive, he was only confused about whether to come to a boring government officials only banquet or risk Ana’s bullet.

 

Ana. Right.

 

Alternatively, he could just wait for Ana to—

 

Jesse barks.

 

“Alright! Alright!” he pushed Jesse down before he can fully climb up to his shirt. He’s heavy, and Gabriel might be a large ex-military man, but he’s not so young he can exactly hold up a dog as big as Jesse without possibly pulling something, “One call. One call, and if he doesn’t pick up, that’s it,” 

 

He punched in the number he knew for so long but never had the courage to actually use, all under the watchful eyes of Jesse. The dial tone began as soon as the last number was punched in, and Gabriel found himself and Jesse staring at each other as the dial continues.

 

“One phone call,” he stage whispered to his dog, who lolled his tongue, as if happy with this outcome, “One. And maybe one more if he had a voicemail,”

 

* * *

 

 

Sitting on the corner of Hanzo’s bedroom made him feel like a sulking boy hiding from daddy inside of his dresser again back in Indiana because he couldn’t cope with what is waiting for him out there. Though, Jack would gladly welcome the sight of his pissed off father holding out his belt than facing just… everything. 

 

That today will eventually become a yesterday.

 

He lived for so long now that he knew just because today will pass, doesn’t mean today’s problems will pass along with it.

 

It was irrational. Deep down, Jack knows that there is nothing out there to be feared and there is nothing but the effects of his own mind that made him like this. He’s been told of this repeatedly, back when he still had some fire in him and tries to fight back against this suffocating way to live. But he’s burned out now, tired and just simply wanted it all to end, dependant on the thought that come the next day, everything would become better. 

 

Outside of the small room, the phone is ringing. 

 

Hanzo, ever so loyal by his side, sat up abruptly, ears twitching and eyes alert. Jack puts a hand on the dog’s rump, stroking the fur, “Leave it be, it’s probably telemarketer,”

 

The phone continued to ring, shrill in the silence in the rest of his apartment. Jack buried his head in between his knees, pulling his legs closer to his chest as he pushed harder against the wall, wallpaper rough against his back. He didn’t exactly have it in him today to put up the nice facade and greet people pleasantly as if everything was normal. He had been turning away every door knock and every ring from his phone since yesterday, too tired to keep a cheerful persona, as if nothing was wrong. 

 

Hurt as it is, especially when he heard Gabe’s slowly disappearing footsteps and the children’s disappointed noises, he can’t help it.

 

He needs to be alone right now. He has to be alone.

 

Finally, finally the phone stops ringing. It beeps, loud enough that he can hear through thick walls, and Jack could hear the murmur of his own voice prompting the caller to leave a message. It sounded so cheery, so pleasant that for a moment, he forgot that that was how he sounded most of the days. But today, especially today, he can’t seem to muster even an ounce of that enthusiasm.

 

And if he can’t smile, then people will know something is wrong. And then people will continue to try to find out what was wrong, asking too many questions that hurts. They’d ask, and then they’d find out, even if he sealed his mouth, and when they did, it would be—

 

A disaster.

 

It had happened too many times now, too many times than he could count. One morning he’d thought that everything was fine, then all of the sudden the rumours, the whispering, they would all appear again. There will be looks, there will be silence in the wake of his arrival, and years, after years, no matter how many times he run, no matter what far removed place he’d request to be sent to, they always come back.

 

So he stopped. He stopped interacting, he stopped talking, and by the end of it, he stopped working before he ran for the very last time. To a quaint little neighbourhood where no one would know any better, where the worst thing that could happen was a child accidentally falling down the stairs and tripping themselves up. Here, where he could blend in.

 

But only if he keep his smile up. 

 

And he couldn’t, not if today keeps on arriving, and with them the reminder of the day where he failed.

 

So they will keep on coming. The smell of burn, the shouting, the taste of blood in his mouth, the sight of the people he knew and respect burning down, of the pain, the agony, the fault, the guilt—

 

Another beep sounded, the signal that his voicemail is ready to receive a recorded message. He sighed between his knees. He just hoped it really is telemarketer and not someone informing him for any unpaid bill or something equally important. 

 

It wasn’t.

 

Next to him, Hanzo bounded towards the door, and vanished from his sight as Jack sat, stunned at the familiar voice that has now began to filter through to his apartment.

 

_Hey, uh, it’s me._

 

Inside of his chest, his heart is pounding. 

 

_I— uh, well. ..Look, i know you told me that you wanted to be left alone, and i can respect that, i get like that too sometimes, you know. It’s tough, i get it. And it’s ahh— No! Jesse, down! It’s voicemail, i told you!_

 

There’s some scuffling, and he could hear a distant sound of barking. Outside, he could hear Hanzo barking in return.

 

_Now where was i— Oh yeah. The point i was trying to make before, was that i get it. I don’t know what’s bothering you, and i don’t want to ask until i’m completely sure you’ll want to tell me, because the last thing i want to do is make you uncomfortable, you know? So it’s good. Well, not good, i’m sure you’ve been having a rough day and— Jesse, quit it! I can’t even hear myself think!_

 

The barking that overlaps Gabriel’s voice now turned into disappointed canine whines, accompanied by the sound of struggle. Hanzo was still barking outside, yelping and howling, perhaps thinking that Jesse could hear. In the midst of the ruckus, Jack began to slowly crawl and made his way to the doorway, leaning his head against the frame when Gabriel’s strained voice returned.

 

_A-anyway, look. Jack, just… just tell me if you’re fine. It doesn’t have to be today, take your time, sort out things on your own pace. And if you need anything, you have my number, you can call me anytime, i don’t care if it’s a crack of dawn or in the middle of the night, i don’t care if you want to pretend everything’s fine or you want to talk my ear off like you always did, i don’t care. I… whatever it is, i want to be there for you, with you, no matter what._

 

* * *

 

Of course it went to voicemail.

 

It means, either Jack is not home, or he’s being ignored.

 

One of these possibilities made his chest clench in both worry and pain.

 

He didn’t have much time left, this being voicemail and all, so Gabriel sighed at the continued silence, looking down on Jesse through hooded eyes, “So, if there’s anything, anything at all i can do,” he sighed, letting the statement hang before he found himself repeating the same word over and over again. He’s pretty sure Jack got the meaning already, “…Just, call me. I’ll see you soon, Jack,” 

 

With a click, he ended the call.

 

Near his feet, Jesse laid his head on the floor, right next to the doll, looking like the saddest dog to ever walk on earth, “You’re not the one who just had his call rejected, stop looking like that,” 

 

Jesse’s sad eyes didn’t relent. Gabriel scoffed, clutched the phone tighter and began to walk away.

 

Only to abruptly stop on his steps when the phone in his hand suddenly vibrates and rang.

 

It was with great shame that Gabriel will admit he did jump and the phone did slip from his hand in his surprise, and it took him an embarrassingly long time to stop fumbling around until he got the phone back in his hand. He’s only glad that Ana and Reinhardt weren’t around to watch. 

 

But the brief glance to the caller ID told him that it was Jack, and he’s not wasting a second to mourn his brief lost of composure.

 

“Hello!” the sound seems to be forced out of his throat with one large breath, “Erm, sorry, sorry. Hi,”

 

Static silence.

 

Behind him, Gabriel can see Jesse perking up, ears standing alert and eyes sharply watching him. Gabriel waited for a moment, holding his breath unconsciously, “Hello?” he tried again, “Jack?”

 

“…stop it,”

 

It’s like every drop of blood in his veins has turned into ice, Gabriel felt his entire body froze with those simple words, “…I’m sorry?”

 

There was a sharp intake of breath, a shudder that slowly turned into a sob, much more closer to the phone. He’s starting to cry, Gabriel realized, stunned, as Jack began again, “I can’t stop it,” the voice, so tiny, so seemingly fragile, it grips deeply into Gabriel’s heart, “They just keep on…,”

 

“Keep on what, Jack?” he urged, teeth gritting at the tension and worry that escalates from this unforeseeable event, “What can’t you stop?”

 

Jack didn’t give any reply, not anything he could understand. Instead, all Gabriel could hear on the other end of the line were muffled sobs, the painful, heartwrenching moan that had made him want to just run because this is Jack, his Jack, who is in deep pain and all Gabriel wanted to do right now was to run over and take him away from whatever it is that makes him like this.

 

A wrecking sob tore through his train thoughts, and Gabriel listened through the series of static and sobs, Jack’s only reply, “Help me, Gabe. Please,”

 

* * *

 

The last time he ran like this, he was running for his life and barely managed to escape with it.

 

Jesse was already ahead of him, dashing through the throng of midday crowd and causing not a few amount of panicked shouts. Gabriel didn’t spare them a single glance or offer a single apology, even when several pedestrian gave him nasty looks and every car honked their horn in frustration and surprise. 

 

His chest was burning, his breathing is slightly irregular and his heart is pounding against his ribcage, but he didn’t care because _Jack needs him so he needs to be there by yesterday._

 

The old legs were starting to burn by the time he arrived in Jack’s apartment building, but instead of slowing down, he pushed through the pain and cramp, following the blurred sight of Jesse’s quick figure as the dog almost pounced on a startled Jamison and jumped over Mako. Their surprised exclamation raised in volume when Gabriel’s entire bulk came barrelling in from the front door, colliding harshly against the door before continuing on to the stairs.

 

He did hear Jamison’s comment, about how ‘For an old bastard, Mr. Reyes could outrun the devil ‘imself’.

 

The flight of stairs seems to end 3 times faster than usual, and in no time, Gabriel was already in front of Jack’s door, sweaty, panting, but all he could focus on was Jesse’s incessant barking and pounding on the front door. 

 

“Jack!” he called out, fist repeatedly meeting the poor abused wood that is Jack’s front door, “Jack, it’s me!”

 

He stopped once the door was truly opened, and the minute Jack stepped out from behind the door, his heart drops down to his stomach.

 

Jack, pastel colour wearing, always sunny, always smiling Jack, was replaced by a twin who had none of those. His eyes were bloodshot, his skin looks clammy, his hair mussed beyond belief. The only thing that remains the same between the two of them was that the way he called for Gabriel’s name never failed to make his stomach flips.

 

“Gabe,” he whimpered, voice small and raspy, and he looked so fragile Gabriel shouldn’t be blamed for the sudden impulse to protect as he rushed forward and enveloped Jack’s slightly smaller frame in his own heaving one. Somewhere next to them, Jesse has slinked past them to venture deeper into Jack’s house, but all Gabriel cared about was holding Jack as close as he could as the white haired man quietly sobbed against his shoulder. 

 

“I’m here, _carino_ ,” he whispered, “It’s okay,”

 

In between his sobs, he could hear Jack’s muffled words, “I’m sorry,” was said against the crook of his neck, followed by drops of tears that felt hot against his skin, “I’m sorry, Gabe, i can’t… i want it to stop, but i never could…,”

 

Jack’s cries became harder, the sobs wrecking through his body, and based on personal experience, Gabriel could tell he had been keeping this for far too long. He held the fair haired man even tighter, manoeuvring through the door so that they can keep this little display private behind Jack’s apartment walls, all the while stopping his apologies, “Just slowly let it out of your system. I’m here,”

 

Jack’s arms, previously trapped between their chest began to moved up to his shoulders, as if to keep him from moving away, “Please,” he whispered, his voice raspy and raw from all the seemingly endless sobs, “I don’t… want to be alone. Not anymore,”

 

Gabriel smiled, pressing little tight lipped kisses on the side of Jack’s temple. The skin was clammy, and he looked so pale when he opened the door earlier.  

 

Oh, what could’ve caused such sorrow? And why does it have to be someone like Jack? 

 

“Oh, _amor, mi luna, mi sol, mi vida, mi alma,_ ” he murmured against soft white strands of hair along Jack’s temple, “I’m not going anywhere,”

 

* * *

 

When Ana and Reinhardt returned to Gabriel Reyes’ property that afternoon, they were alarmed to find the front door wide open, the door swaying heavily against the strong wind. There were no sign of break and entering, just as there were no sign of anyone inside of the house, not a single telltale sign of either a human or a dog. 

 

In the living room, Ana managed to find the cordless phone laying haphazardly on the floor near the wall, as if it had been thrown there, and a small note with the most horrendous chicken scratch writing on top of it, done in a hurry judging by the rushed rip on top of the paper.

 

It simply reads: MI CASA ES TU CASA. LOCK THE DOOR. DON’T WAIT UP.

 

Sighing, Ana puts the telephone back to it’s proper place, before telling Reinhardt to take the new vacuum cleaner out from the trunk.

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The reason why it took so long was because the original draft of this chap was a lot more lighter in terms of story, it wasn't supposed to have a deep plot at all. So there was supposed to be a lot more fluff and stuff.
> 
> But my brain said nah, and here we are.
> 
> I don't know if i'm that good in balancing angst in what was supposed to be this lighthearted fluff peace. Please let me know what you think!
> 
> Thank you so much for reading and i hoped you enjoyed it so far!
> 
> P.s: Here's to hoping i can update soon because irl work is piling ;___;


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